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Hot Bacon Tomato Peach Goat Cheese Salad. A fresh summer salad with sweet peaches and juicy tomatoes. This salad is layered with creamy goat cheese and basil, then tossed in a yummy hot bacon dressing. Simple summer flavors, but so delicious. Serve as a side salad or appetizer with crusty bread.
After traveling for over a week, I’m so happy to be home in time for the last few weeks of summer. We’re now in the season that the tomatoes and peaches are usually the most plentiful in both our gardens and our local grocery stores.
I know that personally, our herb garden is overflowing with fresh, bright green herbs, and wildflowers. August and early September certainly are wonderful for salads.
Simple salads, but with the yummiest flavors, of course.
I’ve been overly excited to create and share this unique tomato salad all summer long, but I felt like I needed to wait until I had the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and the sweetest of peaches.
Happily, it’s finally time! What’s so wonderful about this recipe is that it’s really great for carrying us into the cozier fall months with a mix of summer and warmer fall flavors.
I know you all will love this!
Details
Step 1: arrange the salad
Make sure to use the best summer tomatoes available. I love to mix larger heirloom tomatoes with smaller bite-size cherry tomatoes.
Use what’s available to you!
Layer the tomatoes with peaches, creamy goat cheese, and fresh basil leaves. If you don’t enjoy goat cheese, use sliced fresh mozzarella or feta cheese.
Step 2: make the vinaigrette
Next, mix the vinaigrette, which is my secret to this flavorful salad.
Crisp up some bacon, drain it, and then, right into that same warm skillet, mix in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, shallots, garlic, thyme, and season it up with chili flakes and pepper. Then taste and add salt to your liking.
The small amount of honey and chili flakes add a touch of sweetness that compliments the salty bacon and creaminess of the goat cheese. A great marriage of unexpected flavors that most of us really enjoy.
Step 3: toss the salad
Pour the warm dressing over the salad and give it a gentle toss.
I like to season it a bit more with salt and pepper if needed. Then I serve this up while that vinaigrette is still warm.
Everything together is SO GOOD! The vinaigrette really completes the salad and makes every bite special.
I love this as a side salad for late summer dinners or serve with toasted bread and use as a simple lunch or appetizer. It’s really great and a salad you will enjoy!
And in the fall, I’m already planning to replace the tomatoes and peaches with fresh greens and apples. That will be delicious too!
Looking for other summer salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Summer Chicken Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Marinated Tomato Feta Orzo Salad Jars
Pesto Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad Wraps
Lastly, if you make this Hot Bacon Tomato Peach Goat Cheese Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Hot Bacon Tomato Goat Cheese Salad
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 233 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces goat cheese, sliced
- 3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 peaches, sliced into wedges
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
Vinaigrette
- 6 slices raw bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Arrange the tomatoes, peaches, and goat cheese in layers. Season lightly with salt. Add basil leaves. 3. To make the vinaigrette: Cook the bacon until crispy. Drain lightly. Mix olive oil, vinegar, honey, dijon, and thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.2. Pour the dressing over the salad. Gently toss. Enjoy warm.
A friend made this for dinner, and I have been obsessed with making it myself since. I plan to do so tonight to bring to a different friend’s house. The flavors are just incredible and I would rank it as one of the very best things I have eaten all summer! I hope mine comes out as good. A bonus was, asking for the recipe brought me to find you on instagram….double win. Thank you for the fantastic recipes!
Aw thank you so so Chris! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a kind comment!
Made this tonight and it was absolutely phenomenal! Served it along side chicken piccata and a class of rose. I was in heaven! Thanks for the recipe
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great week! xT
Any recommendations for making it vegetarian? Substitute for bacon?
Hi there! You could totally omit the bacon if you’d like and then maybe add some sundried tomatoes for extra flavor? xT
What an awesome salad!! I had fresh peaches from the farmers market, tomatoes from our garden and Burrata that needed to be eaten. Delicious!!😋Love ur recipes and cookbooks too!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!😍
Thank you so much Barb! xT
The description of this salad in the blog says to add shallots and garlic
to the pan when making the dressing, heating the dressing. The printed copy of the recipe does not mention shallots, garlic or heating the dressing. I would enjoy having a correct printed copy of this recipe.
Hey Sandy! I am so sorry about that, I will make sure that gets fixed! xT
This is SO good! Super easy and delicious!
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xT
I made this last Saturday, it was absolutely amazing! We happen to have a delicious fresh goat cheese we brought from Vermont which we are obsessed with! This was such a perfect dish and absolute hit with our dinner guests! This is going on my favs recipe list, it’s a winner! Thank you Tiegan, your recipes inspire me to cook on days I really don’t feel like cooking which is really something. 🤗
Thank you soooo much! I so appreciate you taking the time to leave such a kind comment! xT
I love this dressing, have been making the one from another salad recipe (has fig jam and shallots too) for a while, literally can eat it with a spoon! The tomato, peach, goat cheese and dressing combo is chef’s kiss 10/10. Thank you Tiegan for, once again, making me look so good!!
Thank you soooo much! I so appreciate you taking the time to leave such a kind comment! xT
Delish, slight changes to make a full dinner salad: made it as a panzanella with toasted Brioche , peaches, tomatoes and corn and swapped goat cheese for Buratta (as I had it on hand).
Sounds awesome! xT
You mention shallots but then didn’t put how many in the recipe /list of ingredients for the vinaigrette. Can you please provide this info. thanks!
Sorry for the confusion! There should be one shallot added into the vinaigrette! xT
Yet another heavenly recipe by Tieghan!! Actually had everything on hand. Tomatoes and basil from the garden! Paired it with grilled shrimp and fresh baked bread. Will be making again while peaches are season!
Hey Amy! So happy to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
I may have missed it but how much shallot?
Yummmm!!!! Thinking how good this would be if the peaches were grilled first? I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
Great idea, I was going to do the same! Looks delish!
Ooooh would be so delish with grilled peaches! xT