It’s time to put your farmers market peaches to work.
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
Key Points
- Audrey Hepburn’s peach salad is a simple, refreshing dessert with just four ingredients.
- Fresh peaches and mint make this salad a healthy, anti-inflammatory summer treat.
- Hepburn’s love of food and family inspired her son’s cookbook, Audrey at Home.
Actor Audrey Hepburn was known for bringing classic Hollywood star power to the big screen. With roles in unforgettable films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday, it’s no wonder Hepburn became a style icon, on and off-screen.
But the timeless actor also loved food and cooking. In fact, her son, Luca Dotti, released a book in 2015 that talks about his mother’s love of caring for her home and cooking for her family. Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen shares many of Hepburn’s favorite recipes, from penne alla vodka to chocolate cake with whipped cream. And the book includes a true summertime gem: Hepburn’s easy, four-ingredient peach dessert.
Content creator Hillary Muscatello recreated the beautiful peach dish in an Instagram reel. “I love the story of Audrey Hepburn bartering peaches from her neighbors to make this delicious salad for her family,” she says in the clip, which shows her making the summery dessert. “They enjoyed it on their patio in Switzerland after dinner on warm summer evenings.”
As an added bonus, the salad is incredibly simple to make. Simply peel and pit six fresh peaches, cutting the fruit into slices that can easily be picked up with a fork. Juice some fresh lemons, then toss the peaches in a mixture of sugar and lemon juice. Next, grab some fresh mint from your herb garden or the produce aisle and chop it finely, then mix it into the salad to finish things off. Serve the colorful, fresh salad in bowls and be prepared for a fresh, summery dish.
The simple fruit salad is perfect for summer, especially since peaches are in season and easy to find everywhere from grocery stores to roadside produce stands. Even better, peaches offer a bundle of health benefits.
What’s more, fresh mint is a great anti-inflammatory ingredient to use in your cooking, and it’s in-season during the summer months, too. Fresh mint contains compounds that may calm the body’s inflammatory response, so if it’s growing in your garden or on offer at the grocery store, it’s a good idea to pick some up.
Looking for the perfect dinner to serve before digging into this starlet-approved peach salad for dessert? Hepburn also had a simple, four-ingredient pasta dish we love, even with its surprising ingredient. The My Fair Lady star’s favorite pasta dish was topped with a sauce made from olive oil, butter, a hard cheese like Parmesan and a bit of ketchup, which is more delicious than you’d think.
And, if you’re on the hunt for even more delicious and healthy recipes that use peaches as a main ingredient, we recommend Julia Roberts’ classic-but-easy peach crisp—plus a few EatingWell recipes that are definitely worth trying in the heart of peach season. Here are a few simple ones to get you started: