Summer Salad with Herbed Ricotta and Balsamic Vinaigrette – a simple salad with heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes, all drizzled with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and a dollop of herbed ricotta!
So let’s talk about this salad a bit because it’s worth talking about. Lots of gorgeous tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and red onions. Then I got the brilliant idea to add some serrano peppers and boy did it kick it up a notch. Maybe it was just my serrano pepper because it was hot as all heck but oh yeah it was worth it.
Then there are lots of herbs here that I used to combine with the ricotta cheese. All fresh, of course, some thyme, oregano and some basil, make sure you chop them finely and mix it in with the ricotta, so good. And the dressing, as I said, a bit of olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. That’s all you really need for tons of flavor.
Ingredients
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Herbed ricotta
- Cheese – Ricotta cheese is essential!
- Herbs – Fresh basil, oregano, and thyme.
Salad
- Dressing – Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Pepper – Serrano pepper sliced up for a little touch of heat. Feel free to skip it if you don’t like the heat.
- Herbs – Fresh basil and oregano.
- Veggies – Heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, sliced radish, and red onion.
Can’t Find Heirloom Tomatoes?
Regular tomatoes will work just fine in this recipe so feel free to substitute those in for the heirloom tomatoes I used here. Do you love cherry tomatoes? I certainly won’t stop you from using them!
Not A Fan Of Serrano?
You can use jalapeños in place of the Serrano, or leave them out completely if you don’t like spice. Because believe me it does kick this recipe up a notch!
How To Make Summer Salad with Herbed Ricotta
- Prep the cheese: In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese with the basil, fresh oregano and thyme. Set aside.
- Create the dressing: In another small bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the tomato slices, cucumber, radishes and onion on a large platter then drizzle with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper if needed, then top with serrano peppers and dollop ricotta mixture evenly over the tomato slices.
- Finish the dish: Garnish with fresh basil and oregano. Serve immediately.
How to Serve
I mean sometimes I’ll just sit down with a big bowl of this salad and go to town and sometimes I’ll pair it alongside some perfectly delicious and tender entrees. Either way it is a real winner
- Beer Can Chicken
- Beef Brisket Gyros
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Perfect Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs
- Garlic and Paprika Chicken
- Lemon Dill Pan Fried Salmon
Leftovers
This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Unfortunately you can’t freeze this salad as the integrity of the veggies will be completely gone when it thaws, resulting in a big bowl of mush.
More Must Try Salads:
- Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Slaw
- Greek Salad
- Fattoush Salad
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Waldorf Salad
- Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad
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Summer Salad with Herbed Ricotta and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For Herbed Ricotta
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 basil leaves chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
For Salad
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 pound heirloom tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1/2 English cucumber sliced
- 6 radishes sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1 serrano pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup basil leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese with the basil, fresh oregano and thyme. Set aside.
- In another small bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Arrange the tomato slices, cucumber, radishes and onion on a large platter then drizzle with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper if needed, then top with serrano peppers and dollop ricotta mixture evenly over the tomato slices.
- Garnish with fresh basil and oregano.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Regular tomatoes will do if you can’t find heirloom.
- You can use jalapeños in place of the Serrano, or leave them out completely if you don’t like spice.
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Unfortunately you can’t freeze this salad as the integrity of the veggies will be completely gone when it thaws, resulting in a big bowl of mush.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Made this salad tonight. It was so good, that I cannot wait to make this for company! Beautiful salad and yummy flavors. The ricotta just adds the nicest touch. Loved it!
This is heaven on a plate. So beautiful and with lots of my favorite things. Have a great weekend!
You too Kevin!
This looks really good, but I have a question for ya. do you do any pressure cooking/ and if you do can you post some recipes.
I used to do a lot of pressure cooking, but I haven’t in a while. I’ll have to find my pressure cooking and do something for you. 🙂