This Peach and Goat Cheese Salad with prosciutto and farro is on one of my favorite summer salads. It has the perfect flavor combination from sweet and juicy peaches, salty prosciutto, tangy goat cheese and a robust basil balsamic vinaigrette.
Summer is in full swing and that means my favorite fruit is finally fresh and ripe. Peaches!!! Yup, peaches are my favorite fruit, followed closely by apples (more apple recipes coming soon, but you can already check out this Kale and Apple Slaw recipe). I love peaches in sweets, like peach pie and cobbler, or savory recipes like this peach and goat cheese salad.
This simple recipe is elevated with the addition of thinly sliced prosciutto and tender farro (chilled or room temperature). These ingredients make this salad extra special with a grain to fill you up and a salty ham to add umami. Keep this recipe bookmarked for whenever you have fresh peaches and need a special salad for dinner or a backyard party.
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Ingredients that Matter
This recipe features some interesting ingredients along with pantry staples. Let's dig in to the ingredients that make this salad so special.
- Peach. This salad calls for one ripe peach. Be sure it's fresh and ripe! You can tell if a peach is ripe by gently pressing by the stem end. It should give just slightly, similar to the texture on a ripe avocado. And smell it! It should smell sweet and like peaches! There's no need to peel the peach, simply thinly slice and it's ready to go.
- Goat Cheese. We love topping the salad with some creamy crumbled goat cheese. The creamy texture and tangy flavor pairs very well with peaches (think peaches and cream).
- Farro. Adding some cooked and tender farro grain to the salad provides an interesting texture plus the grain will help fill you up.
- Prosciutto. I try to keep meat consumption to a minimum, so when I do eat meat I want it to be special. Thinly sliced and torn prosciutto in this salad is exactly that; it's quite special! I love the salty, meaty flavor paired with peaches. That salt brings out the natural sweetness of the peaches.
- Lettuce. Here's where you can get really creative. Pick your favorite lettuce greens, or use arugula, baby spinach, baby kale, etc. I simply like a sturdy green leaf lettuce, but choose your favorite green. Just make sure you have 4 ounces, which is about 8 lightly packed cups.
- Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette. The salad is drizzled with my favorite Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe. It has minced shallots and garlic, mustard, balsamic vinegar, basil and olive oil. Click through to the recipe to get more information about the dressing and other uses for its big flavors.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This salad is pretty simple, but there's a few things to ensure it turns out well. Here's how it comes together.
Make the dressing by whisking together minced shallot, grated or minced garlic, mustard, balsamic vinegar and salt. Then slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk. Add the basil and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning and store in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days.
Add oil to a small saucepan and add farro. Cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the farro and cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Add greens to a mixing bowl (use the same one you made the dressing in for less cleanup), then add some of the dressing and toss to combine.
Transfer dressed greens to a serving platter and top with about ¼ cup of the cooked farro and the sliced peaches.
Finish the salad by adding torn pieces of prosciutto, crumbled goat cheese, more farro, a final drizzle of dressing and torn basil leaves.
We recommend serving the salad right away as the longer the dressed lettuce sits, the more likely it will get soggy. In a pinch, you can simply assemble the salad without the dressing and store covered in the refrigerator then drizzle with the vinaigrette just before serving.
Everything you need to know about Farro
Farro is an ancient grain, quite literally found in tombs of ancient Egyptians and considered a staple of the Fertile Crescent. Some cultures and cuisines have used farro for hundreds of years. If you are Italian, you likely are quite familiar with farro.
But it took the health food movement (and interest in whole grains) to bring farro and other ancient grains to more American dinner tables. And that's a great thing because farro is quite healthy! It's high in fiber and rich in nutrients.
Shopping for farro can be quite confusing, and unfortunately there isn't a fast and simple rule I can provide. There are technically three types of farro, which comes from wheat grain, and labeling is all over the place.
Here's what you need to know: You can find semipearled, pearled and whole farro (though your grocery may just sell "farro": confusing, right?). If you are using whole farro, we recommend soaking it overnight as you would a dried bean. That's because whole farro has retained all of its husk and is quite tough. But, semipearled and pearled (which have had some of their exteriors polished off), are ready to cook without soaking. These are also the most likely versions you'll find in most grocery stores.
How long does it take to cook farro? As ALL my chefs in culinary school would say, it's done when it's done! That's not very helpful advice, is it? In general, semipearled and pearled should take about 20-30 minutes to cook while whole farro may take about 40 minutes.
How do I cook farro? Cooking farro is simple. Simply boil or simmer the grain in water until tender. Then drain and serve warm, room temperature or cold. When cooking farro, think more like coking pasta rather than rice (even though it looks more like rice).
What's the ratio of water for cooking farro? There really isn't a ratio for cooking farro. Remember, think of cooking farro more like pasta. But I like to have at least 3 times the amount of water compared to farro. So for every 1 cup of farro I use 3 cups of water, but you can certainly use more. And you can cook farro in broth or stock, if you'd like.
Should I toast farro before cooking? If you have the time, absolutely! Toasting farro will make it even nuttier and more toasty. I like to simply cook the farro in a bit of oil until it smells nutty then I add the water and boil until tender. Simple!
Substitutions
This recipe is NOT vegetarian, dairy-free or gluten-free. But we'll give you some options if you have dietary restrictions:
- Vegetarian - You'll have leave out the prosciutto to make the salad vegetarian. There isn't a great substitute for the salty ham, but you could instead use lightly salted toasted almonds.
- Gluten-Free- Make this salad gluten-free by subbing out the farro for a gluten-free grain like quinoa. And read the label of the prosciutto to ensure it's also GF.
- Dairy-Free- You'll have to cut out the goat cheese to make this recipe dairy-free. Like swapping out the prosciutto, we recommend instead using lightly salted nuts like almonds or cashews.
Equipment
For making the dressing, we recommend a good whisk like this OXO Good Grips 11-inch Balloon Whisk. We also like these easy pour measuring cups, the OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Angled Measuring Cups.
Storage
This recipes doesn't keep great as the dressing wilt make the salad wilt. However, we have some recommendations of you want to make it ahead of time:
You can make the dressing ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also make the farro up to 3 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Finally, if you are making this salad for a lunch or dinner party, you can assemble the entire salad, cover loosely with plastic, then simply drizzle with dressing just before serving. Be sure to have extra dressing on the side.
FAQ
Farro is an ancient grain, a form of wheat. It's high in fiber and packed with nutrients. It has a nutty, rustic and toasty flavor. It's delicious served cold or room temperature in salad.
Yes, simply assemble the salad and cover loosely with plastic and store in the refrigerator for up 24 hours. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.
More Salad Recipes
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Dinner Ideas
Try this salad as a side or appetizer to these dinners:
Recipe
Peach and Goat Cheese Salad
- Total Time: 40 min.
- Yield: About 8 cups 1x
Description
This Peach and Goat Cheese Salad with prosciutto and farro is on one of my favorite summer salads. It has the perfect flavor combination from sweet and juicy peaches, salty prosciutto, tangy goat cheese and a robust basil balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. minced shallot (from 1 small shallot)
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup lightly packed basil, thinly sliced
Salad
- ½ cup farro
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cups water
- 4 oz. lettuce, torn into small pieces (or baby spinach, kale or arugula)
- 1 ripe peach, thinly sliced
- 2 oz. crumbled goat cheese
- 2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces
- basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
Dressing
- To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, garlic, mustard and salt in a medium bowl until smooth then slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk. Transfer dressing to a mason jar or airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Salad
- To assemble the salad, start by cooking the farro. Rinse and dry the farro. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat then add farro and cook until toasted, 30-60 seconds. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook, partially covered, until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Farro may be cooked ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
- Add greens to a mixing bowl (use the same one used to make the dressing to cut back on dishes!). Add about 3 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to combine. Transfer greens to a serving platter and sprinkle with ¼ cup of the farro. Add peaches then the cheese and prosciutto. Top with more farro and drizzle with a couple tablespoons more of the dressing. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately.
Notes
- The salad does not keep well once dressed, so we recommend only storing leftovers for about 8 hours.
- However, if you want to make the salad ahead of time, simply assemble without dressing, cover loosely with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, drizzle with dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 min.
- Cook Time: 25 min.
- Category: Salads
- Method: Boiling/No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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