This crazy-easy Burrata Salad Recipe is basically Caprese salad on steroids. Think gourmet flavors... creamy burrata cheese, fresh basil, peppery arugula, and sweet tomatoes topped off with a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze. Add some toasty baguette slices as well to complete this already dreamy dish.
They'll charge you nearly $20 for a recipe like this at a restaurant. Or you could make it home for half the cost, with almost no chopping, and it comes together lightning fast. Once you've made this salad, it will 100% become your new go-to, easy lunch or side dish. There is no going back!
This salad, along with our wedge salad and strawberry spinach salad is practically Summer in food form. Perfect for the time of year when tomatoes, basil, and so many other veggies are at their peak freshness. You just can't beat those flavors and textures.
WHAT IS BURRATA?
At its core, burrata is an Italian cheese made from cow's milk, consisting of an outer layer of fresh mozzarella that has been filled with soft cheese curds and cream. The center is similar to a ricotta or cottage cheese texture, and the flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and buttery.
You can usually find burrata near the deli of your grocery store, with the other high-end cheeses. It is generally sold in a small tub of water.
HOW TO MAKE BURRATA SALAD
To kick off your Burrata Salad, the first thing you want to do is get your bread nice and toasty! Think homemade croutons, but better.
Toasted baguette slices are not 100% necessary when it comes to the salad, although highly recommended! The toasty bread serves as a beautiful vessel for scooping up that creamy burrata center.
You'll begin by cutting a baguette into quarter-inch slices, cutting on a bias. Cutting the bread on a bias will give you more surface area for spreading per piece of bread!
Once you've got your bread sliced and ready to go, transfer it to a sheet pan and drizzle both sides of the bread with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in total. If you happen to have an olive oil cooking spray, feel free to use that in place of liquid form olive oil. An olive oil cooking spray will give you much better, even coverage!
Then, transfer the pan to a 400°F oven and bake for about 4 minutes. After the 4 minutes are up, pull the bread from the oven and carefully turn each slice over. Return the bread to the oven to finish baking for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until both sides are looking perfectly golden and toasty! Remove the bread from the oven, and set it aside while you prepare the remaining Burrata Salad ingredients!
For a full-flavored bed of greens, we will be using baby arugula. Arugula has peppery, nutty notes that pair perfectly with the sweetness of fresh burrata, tomatoes, and pretty much everything else going on in this beautiful mix of a salad!
Add half of your baby arugula to a large shallow bowl, and top this with about half of your grape tomatoes. You could also use cherry tomatoes if that is what you happen to have on hand. Next, will be adding in some freshly torn basil leaves.
Basil is sweet, mildly peppery, and strong in flavor. Fresh herbs like this are amazing for adding beautiful complexity of flavor to fresh salads.
After you've got your basil down, you'll come in with another very important ingredient: a balsamic reduction. You can make a balsamic reduction yourself; however, for simplicity's sake, we tend to reach for the store-bought rendition. You can typically find balsamic reduction near the other vinegar in your local grocery store.
Balsamic reduction (or balsamic glaze, as you might also see it called), is sweeter and more flavorful than balsamic vinegar in its basic form. It has less of that vinegary bite and takes on more of a sweet and sticky kind of texture which compliments this Burrata Salad perfectly.
Squeeze about a tablespoon of balsamic reduction over your arugula, tomatoes, and basil, and then drizzle with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Finish off this layer with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper, and toss to combine if you'd like.
Now comes in the burrata! Pat the exterior of the burrata dry with a paper towel and gently tear each burrata ball in half.
Place them evenly across the surface of your salad and drizzle the cheese with another tablespoon of balsamic reduction and a tablespoon of olive oil. Then, you'll sprinkle the tops of the cheese with salt and pepper.
Tear your baguette slices in half and wedge them in between the burrata balls, or serve on the side.
6 MORE SUMMER SALADS YOU’LL LOVE
- Wedge Salad
- Shrimp Avocado Salad
- 7 Layer Salad
- Watermelon Arugula Salad
- Fried Green Tomato Salad
- Bruschetta Chicken Salad
Burrata Salad is the absolute best combination of flavors, textures, and even colors! It is fresh, vibrant, and delicious.
- 1 baguette, sliced a ¼" thick on a bias
- 4 tablesoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup torn basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar reduction, separated
- Kosher salt and black pepper, for seasoning
- 1 (8-ounce) container burrata (about 4 burrata balls)
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Preheat the oven to 400°F, and have ready a large sheet pan.
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Transfer the bread to the sheet pan, and lightly drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn the slices over, and drizzle with another tablespoon of oil.
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Transfer to the oven and bake for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, and carefully turn the slices over. Return to the oven to bake for another 2-3 minutes or until golden in color. Remove the oven and set aside to cool.
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Add the baby arugula to a large, shallow bowl, and top with the halved grape tomatoes and torn basil leaves.
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Drizzle about a tablespoon each of olive oil and balsamic reduction across the top and sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat, if desired.
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Gently, tear each burrata ball in half and place it over the top of the salad. Drizzle the cheese with another tablespoon each of olive oil and balsamic reduction. Sprinkle the cheese with another pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. Serve with the toasted baguette slices and enjoy!
Sources: What Is Arugula?, What Is Burrata And How Is It Made?, What Is Burrata And How Is It Made?
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