Sweet-Sour Macerated Cherries With Marcona Almonds, Mint, and Ricotta Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated May. 07, 2020
20150630-cherry-ricotta-salad-tartine-vicky-wasik-2.jpg
A sweet-savory combo of cherries macerated in honey and vinegar with black pepper, almonds, and mint. . Vicky Wasik

Cherry season is fleeting, so let's make the most of it while it's here. In this incredibly easy no-cook recipe, macerated fresh cherries are treated with a sweet-sour mixture of honey and red wine vinegar, then topped with black pepper and served with good ricotta cheese, crushed marcona almonds, and mint. Eat it in a bowl as a light breakfast or dessert, or serve it on toasted crusty bread as a snack.

Recipe Details

Sweet-Sour Macerated Cherries With Marcona Almonds, Mint, and Ricotta Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pint sweet cherries, halved and pitted

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese (see note)

  • Toasted crusty bread, for serving (optional)

  • 1/2 cup marcona almonds, roughly crushed (see note)

  • Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

  • Flaky salt, such as Maldon (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, toss together cherries, honey, and vinegar. Season with salt and a generous grating of pepper.

  2. Spoon ricotta cheese into bowls (alternatively, spread it on toasted bread). Top with cherries and the macerating liquid, crushed almonds, and mint leaves. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using, and serve.

Notes

It's important to seek out high-quality fresh ricotta cheese, since the mass-market brands usually found at supermarkets won't perform well in this simple recipe. If you don't have marcona almonds, substitute an equal quantity of macadamia nuts.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
588 Calories
35g Fat
45g Carbs
29g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 588
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 12g 58%
Cholesterol 59mg 20%
Sodium 581mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 17%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 30g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 648mg 50%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 699mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)