Grilled Stone Fruit Salad with White Bean Cream
Stone fruit season opens in earnest in June across most of the Northern Hemisphere, and the first genuinely ripe peaches, nectarines, and apricots of the year are among the most anticipated arrivals at any farmers market. The key word is genuinely ripe: stone fruit harvested for long-distance shipping is picked hard and unripe, and while it may soften on the counter, it will never develop the full sugar and volatile aromatic compounds that a tree-ripened fruit has. If you have access to locally grown stone fruit picked at true maturity, June is the moment for it.
Grilling stone fruit concentrates its sugars, adds a light caramelization and smokiness that lifts the sweetness into something more complex, and warms the flesh in a way that releases its aromatics beautifully. The heat needs to be high enough to mark the surface quickly without cooking the fruit all the way through — you want char and caramelization on the cut face, but the interior should remain yielding rather than collapsed. A gas or charcoal grill works equally well here; a cast-iron grill pan on the stovetop produces equivalent results.
The base for this salad is a white bean cream — cannellini beans blended with lemon, olive oil, and garlic into something smooth, rich, and substantial, with a mild earthiness that grounds the sweetness of the fruit beautifully. If you eat dairy, fresh burrata torn open over the greens is a magnificent substitution or addition — the cream that spills from the center mingles with the dressing in a way that is genuinely extraordinary. But the white bean cream is not a consolation prize. It holds its own completely.
Peppery greens, good olive oil, a drizzle of aged balsamic or a touch of honey, fresh basil, and toasted pistachios complete the picture. This is a first course, a light lunch, or the salad that earns its place on a summer dinner table.
Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main · 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 ripe but firm peaches, nectarines, or apricots (or a mix), halved and pitted
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Kosher salt and black pepper
— For the white bean cream —
1 can (400g / 15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic
3–4 tablespoons water, to adjust consistency
Salt and white pepper
Optional: substitute 2 balls fresh burrata for the white bean cream
— To assemble —
Large handful of arugula or watercress
Small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
30g (¼ cup) toasted pistachios or almonds, roughly chopped
Good aged balsamic vinegar or honey, for drizzling
Flaky sea salt
METHOD
1. Make the white bean cream: blend the drained beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt in a food processor or blender until very smooth, adding water one tablespoon at a time until the texture is thick but spreadable — similar to hummus but slightly looser. Taste and adjust lemon and salt. (If using burrata instead, skip this step and proceed.)
2. Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Brush the cut faces of the stone fruit with olive oil and season lightly with salt.
3. Place the fruit cut-side down on the hot grill and leave undisturbed for 3–4 minutes. You want genuine char — deep golden-brown grill marks and caramelization — not just warmth. When the fruit releases from the grill cleanly, it's ready. Turn and grill the skin side for 1 minute. Remove and let cool slightly — the fruit should be warm, not hot, when assembled.
4. Spread the white bean cream across the base of a large platter or divide between plates. (If using burrata, tear it open over the arugula and let the cream spill naturally.)
5. Scatter the arugula or watercress over the cream. Nestle the grilled stone fruit among the greens.
6. Scatter the torn basil and toasted nuts over everything. Drizzle with aged balsamic or a light drizzle of honey, then a generous pour of your best olive oil. Finish with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately while the fruit is still warm.
