Cheesy Vegetarian

Peach and Mozzarella Salad with Rocket

A plate with peach and mozzarella salad and homemade croutons.

I always used to think I wasn’t a salad lover, but it turns out I just don’t like boring salads. And this peach and mozzarella salad is far from boring! Every ingredient in this salad brings something a bit different to the party:

fresh peaches and tomatoes bring a sweet juiciness
pumpkin seeds and homemade croutons bring a nice crunch
rocket leaves bring a peppery flavour
fresh mozzarella cheese brings a rich creaminess
and the balsamic dressing ties it all together and adds a nice tang

The combination is just *chef’s kiss*.

As with most of my recipes, you can switch up the ingredients of this peach salad however you like. I’ve added some ideas below!

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for peach and mozzarella salad laid out with text overlay.

salad leaves – I love to include rocket (arugula) in my salads, because it has a wonderful, peppery flavour. It can be a little intense on its own, so I like to use a mixture of different leaves – this time I used a bagged salad that included rocket, spinach, baby red leaf, and mizuna leaves.
fresh mozzarella
fresh peach (make sure it’s a nice ripe one)
bread – to make homemade croutons. One large slice, or two small slices, is plenty, and it’s totally fine to use slightly stale bread.
cherry tomatoes (or plum tomatoes, or similar)
pumpkin seeds
balsamic vinegar

If you’d like to use different ingredients, try to swap like for like, so you retain the balance of crunchy, sweet, tangy, etc. For example:

pumpkin seeds could be swapped for pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or cashews.
fresh mozzarella could be swapped for crumbled feta, cubes of marinated tofu, or halloumi cheese.
fresh peaches could be swapped for diced plums, apples, strawberries, or a similar juicy fruit.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re planning to prepare this recipe in advance, wait to add the dressing until just before serving, to avoid soggy leaves. I’d also recommend storing the croutons separately until you’re ready to serve, so the juicier ingredients don’t make them soft.

Recipe Video

Mozzarella and peach salad with homemade croutons and tomatoes.

Printable Instructions

Peach and mozzarella salad with homemade croutons, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds.

Peach and Mozzarella Salad with Rocket

This peach and mozzarella salad is bursting with fresh summer flavour, including sweet peach, creamy cheese, and crunchy homemade croutons!

Course Appetiser, Light lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 573kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the croutons:

1 slice bread (or 2 small slices) – stale bread is fine
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For the dressing:

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To assemble:

90 g (~ 3 oz) salad greens, including rocket (arugula)
125 g (~ 4 1/2 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese
1 ripe peach
~ 8 cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Cut the bread into bitesized pieces, and add to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and add plenty of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well coated in the oil. Cook the croutons until golden brown and crispy. I cooked mine for 5 minutes in the air fryer at 200°C (400°F), but you could also bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes. However you cook them, keep an eye on them, as they can burn quite quickly. Set aside to cool.
To make the balsamic dressing, simply combine the balsamic vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil. The easiest way is to put them in a small jar with a lid, and shake hard. Alternatively, you can use a small whisk, or even a mini food processor. Keep mixing until the two ingredients have emulsified to give a cohesive dressing.
Cut the mozzarella, peach and tomatoes into bitesized pieces. When you’re ready to eat, combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl, including the cooled croutons and the dressing. Mix well.
Serve immediately after adding the dressing. If you’d like to prepare the recipe in advance, wait until serving to add the croutons and dressing to the other ingredients.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this salad in advance?

The recipe is so easy to make that ideally, you’ll prepare everything fresh, just before eating. However, if you want to get a headstart, you can chop the ingredients and get them ready before assembling. Store the cut ingredients in sealed tubs in the fridge. I would recommend combining the ingredients, especially the croutons and dressing, just before serving to avoid soggy croutons.

How should I store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight tub for up to 3 days. However, leftovers may become a little soggy, so this salad is best eaten fresh if possible.

What should I serve with this peach and mozzarella salad?

This salad is great served on its own as a light lunch, or in a smaller portion as an appetiser. Alternatively, you could serve it as a side dish. It has plenty of flavour on its own, so serve it with something simple – perhaps some baked tofu, roasted chickpeas, or even just some fresh bread and butter.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Sure – just swap the mozzarella for your favourite vegan cheese, or even cubes of tofu.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes – just use your favourite gluten-free bread for the croutons, or use a shop-bought gluten-free crouton. Alternatively, you could swap the croutons for an alternative crunchy ingredient, like some more seeds or nuts (walnuts would be tasty!).

Other Salad Recipes

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Peach and Mozzarella Salad with Rocket

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Creamy coronation chickpeas on toast and lettuce.

Coronation Chickpeas (Creamy Curried Chickpea Salad)

A hand scooping creamy cowboy caviar with a tortilla chip.

Creamy Cowboy Caviar (Vegan Bean Salad) with Avocado Dressing

The post Peach and Mozzarella Salad with Rocket appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Ahh, gnocchi! Adorable little potato dumplings that taste like little pillowy clouds – soft and fluffy, like little hugs for your mouth. I adore gnocchi cooked with all sorts of flavours, and this easy air fryer recipe involves:

crispy gnocchi cooked in a creamy pesto sauce
roasted vegetables that are sweet and tender
gooey little pockets of mozzarella cheese
a layer of rich tomato sauce to bring it all together

Doesn’t it just sound irresistible?! It couldn’t be easier to make, and the classic Italian flavours are just incredible.

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables with mozzarella and pesto.

If you’re a regular reader here on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian, you might know that I’m not a fan of boiling gnocchi, and I usually cook it in a frying pan (see my instructions for frying gnocchi!). However, lately I’ve been experimenting with different methods – like baked gnocchi, and oven-roasted gnocchi. This time, I thought I’d use the air fryer!

Why Cook Gnocchi in an Air Fryer?

I use my air fryer several times a week, and I love it. An air fryer is essentially just a mini oven, so whatever you can cook in an oven, you can cook in an air fryer instead (and vice versa) – but it’s a lot quicker when there’s a smaller space to heat up.

Cooking this pesto gnocchi in an air fryer means you can turn it on, leave it to do its thing for a while, and return to perfectly cooked gnocchi. It’s a lot less labour intensive than cooking the gnocchi in a frying pan, and it’s quicker than using the oven. Best of both worlds!

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

gnocchi – any shop-bought gnocchi will work. I haven’t tested this recipe using homemade gnocchi, but I imagine that would work well too (though you’ll probably need to boil the gnocchi first).
vegetables – I used mushrooms, red onion and a yellow pepper. Any similar Italian-style veggies will work well.
pesto – I used a creamy basil pesto, but use whatever you like the sound of.
fresh mozzarella cheese
tomato sauce – choose your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce, or use your own homemade tomato sauce! It’s worth choosing a good quality sauce for this recipe.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could cook this recipe in a regular oven instead, or in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Recipe Video

Equipment

My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love, and I use it several times a week. I love how it has two separate baskets, so you can cook small or large meals easily. One of the baskets was enough to cook this air fryer gnocchi.

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

A bowl of air fryer gnocchi on tomato sauce.

Printable Instructions

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Gnocchi with Pesto and Mozzarella

Air fryer gnocchi, with creamy pesto sauce, gooey pockets of mozzarella, and roasted veggies. This vegetarian meal is so easy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Total Time 32

Servings people

Calories 663kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp pesto (I used a creamy basil pesto)
2 Tbsp water
120 g mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
1 bell pepper (I used yellow)
1 red onion
500 g (~1 lb) gnocchi
250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
340 g (~ 1 cup) good quality tomato pasta sauce

Instructions

Add the pesto and a splash of water to a mixing bowl, and mix well to thin out the pesto a little. This will help it to coat the gnocchi nicely.
Chop the mushrooms, pepper and red onion into bitesized pieces, and add them to the bowl, along with the gnocchi. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
Transfer the mixture to your air fryer, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Stir the gnocchi, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
When the gnocchi and vegetables are nicely crisped up, add the torn up mozzarella cheese to the air fryer, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Heat up the tomato sauce – I warmed it in a bowl in the microwave, but you could use a pan on the stovetop instead, if you prefer. Serve the crispy air fried gnocchi on top of the hot tomato sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You could easily mix up the gnocchi / vegetables / pesto in advance, then store the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry, just before serving.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I generally reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also reheat in the air fryer or in a frying pan, but bear in mind that the sauce will dry up a bit if using these methods, so you may need to mix in a little water to freshen it up.

How should I serve air fried gnocchi?

This recipe can be served on its own, without any additional side dishes. However, if you’d like to serve something on the side, a simple salad would be a great addition.