Stone Fruit Caprese

By Ali Slagle

Published July 15, 2022

Stone Fruit Caprese
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Eugene Jho. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,451)
Comments
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A standout caprese starts with great fruit. You need ripe tomatoes to weep juices, which then mingle with grassy olive oil and milky cheese to make your dressing. Basil adds freshness, black pepper and flakes of sea salt add crunch, and that’s it, a perfect combination. But if the stone fruit options are looking better than the tomatoes at the market, you can use them instead. They’re similar in flavor to tomatoes, but need cajoling to relinquish their juices. By letting sliced fruit macerate with salt, sugar and lemon juice, their fruitiness becomes more electric and their juices pool on the plate. Start with fruit you can smell and pair it with equally quality ingredients. Caprese is more about shopping than cooking.

Featured in: 20 Easy Salads for Every Summer Table

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2pounds ripe but firm stone fruit (such as nectarines, peaches, plums, cherries or a mix)
  • 1tablespoon lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • 2teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more as needed
  • Flaky sea salt
  • 8ounces fresh mozzarella, at room temperature
  • About 20 basil or mint leaves, or a combination, torn if large
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

207 calories; 13 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 9 grams protein; 476 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pit the stone fruit and cut into irregular pieces. Transfer to a serving platter, then sprinkle with the lemon juice, sugar and ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt. Toss with your hands, then let sit until juices pool on the platter, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar, salt and lemon juice until the fruit tastes perky and bright — like the greatest stone fruit you’ve eaten.

  2. Step 2

    Tear the mozzarella into bite-size pieces and nestle it among the fruit. Tuck in the herb leaves. Drizzle the platter with olive oil. If the cheese looks dry, add a little more oil. Sprinkle with a few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of flaky salt, and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,451 user ratings
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Comments

Edward

Tremendous. This was great with peaches, sour cherries (bumped the sugar up a smidge), basil, and mint. An old serious eats trick can help breath life into standard grocery store fresh mozzarella: soak it for an hour in warm (~110F) salted (1tsp/cup) whole milk.

Max Alexander, Rome, Contestant MasterChef Italia 2020-2021

This dish has a lemon-juice base so you wouldn't want to add another acid (even balsamic), which would muddle the flavor. Likewise choose either basil or mint (which are in the same family) but not both. In the Italian kitchen, less is always more. Resist the urge to kitchen-sink Italian recipes and instead focus on using a few ingredients, perfectly in season.

Randy

Roz, those are cherries in the photo, red ones and a few that look like early Rainier's. (Your idea of apricots, prosciutto and pistachios sounds fabulous btw.) I just made this with peaches, cherries, "very cherry" plums, basil and burrata rather than mozzarella. Killer. Thanks Ali for a great recipe template for summer fruit salads.

polly

I love to add the stone fruit to a traditional caprese. Tomato and fruit like peaches or nectarines with burrata, olive oil and a spritz of balsamic (vs the sugar here) with basil is fabulous.

Tish

I made this using mostly plums. I forgot lemon so used balsamic for the acid. It was absolutely delicious. I then made it with peaches. Sublime. Next up, it will be plums, peaches, and cherries. His has quickly become a staple in my summer rotation!

Abby

Fabulous! I’ve made it with both mozzarella and burrata and would not use burrata again. It’s still delicious but it looks like a crime scene when made with burrata.

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