Roasted Beet Peach and Burrata Salad with Basil Oil and Candied Pistachios

This stunningly simple roasted beet peach and burrata salad is garnished with basil oil and candied pistachios. 

Can I ask a big favor of you all? Go out and buy peaches. Like now, and then go home and make this beet, peach and burrata salad.

This is the one summer recipe that you still have to make–and I don’t know how much longer good peaches will be available (maybe another week or two?), so you might need to move quickly.

I mean, beets, peaches, burrata, candied pistachios, and basil oil. It does not get better than this.

Also, I realize this is the third recipe that I’ve asked you to make that calls for basil oil (first, these shrimp skewers and then, this hash), but I love that stuff. It totally makes this salad. I could also survive on candied pistachios, but that is besides the point.

To be perfectly honest, I can’t take credit for the creativity behind this salad. This dish was inspired by the lovely Joe Yonan (food editor of the Washington Post and author of the recent cookbook Eat Your Vegetables).

I was lucky enough to be introduced to him last year, and recently helped him with a private dinner event, where we served a salad very similar to this one. I ended up recreating and serving it a few weeks ago for a fancy dinner at home with Connor and my soon-to-be in-laws, where it was met with rave reviews, and eventually decided I needed to share it with you all as well.

The best part of this dish is that it comes together so quickly. The most time consuming step is roasting the beets–my favorite method is to simply scrub them very well, wrap them tightly in foil, and roast them at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

The peaches are blanched and peeled very easily by  scoring and placing them in a bowl, and pouring over boiling water (I used my kettle). I’m not a huge fan of peach skin, especially in salads, and this step almost helps to bring out the flavor of the peaches even more, if that makes any sense at all.

The icing on the proverbial cake is the creamy burrata cheese. If you’ve never tried burrata, it is essentially mozzarella that has been stuffed with cream. It is creamy, decadent, and best served at room temperature.

It is one of my absolute favorite cheeses (or ingredients, for that matter), and although it is expensive and a little hard to come by, you will not regret the decision at all.

Roasted Beet Peach and Burrata Salad with Basil Oil and Candied Pistachios

4.7 stars (3 ratings)

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Yield: 4 Servings

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total: 2 hours hours

This stunningly simple roasted beet peach and burrata salad is garnished with homemade basil oil and candied pistachios. 

Ingredients

Roasted Beets:

• 4 large golden beets roughly ¾ lb

Candied Pistachios:

• ¼ cup shelled pistachios
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

Assembly:

• 3 large peaches
• 8 ounces burrata cheese room temperature
• homemade basil oil see linked recipe
• high-quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• flaky salt, such as Maldon for finishing

Instructions 

• Roast the Beets: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center position. Trim the beet greens (reserve and use for sauteed beet greens), leave roughly ½-inch stem visible. Do not remove or trim the root end. Scrub and clean the beets gently, without piercing or removing the skin.
• Wrap each beet tightly in aluminum foil, and place them in a roasting pan and wrap tightly with foil. Bake for at least 45 minutes or up to 1¼ hours. Time will vary depending on the size of beets. Check the beets by unwrapping them, be very careful for steam, and piercing the center of the beet with a paring knife. If the knife meets no resistance, the beets are finished cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
• Wait until the beets are cool enough to handle (they will be easier to peel when slightly warm). Peel gently with fingers, remove root and tail, and slice into half-moons or wedges.
• Prepare the Candied Pistachios: Meanwhile, combine the pistachios in a small bowl with the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of water, and a pinch of salt. Place the pistachios on a half sheet pan, sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, and toast for 10 to 12 minutes in a 375°F (190°C) by themselves or with the beets as they are cooking, or until the pistachios are caramelized and golden. Set on a rack and allow the pistachios to cool completely.
• Prepare the Peaches: Cut a very thin (just enough to pierce the skin) “X” on the bottom of each peach. Place the peaches in a big bowl and cover completely with hot boiling water. Allow the peaches to blanch in the hot water for at least 5 minutes, or until the peel is easily removable. Right before serving, slice the peaches in half, core, and cut them into wedges.
• Assemble: Drizzle a large platter with basil oil. Distribute the peach and beet slices amongst the plates. Set the burrata on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb any excess liquid, cut in half, and set on the platter. Add more basil oil as desired. Drizzle the plate lightly with high-quality olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Garnish with chopped candied pistachios and serve immediately.

Tips for Success:

• Roasted and peeled beets can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, and kept in a container in the fridge. Feel free to halve the basil oil recipe; however it will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks (and can be used for a variety of other dishes!). Candied pistachios can be prepared several days in advance.

Inspired by Joe Yonan.

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 318kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 719mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 19g

Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate

Course: Salads

Cuisine: American