This tomato Burrata Caprese Salad is the perfect summer salad that's a great twist on the traditional Caprese salad! It's just what you need for a fresh and delicious Italian-inspired recipe. This makes for a perfect light dinner, side, or hearty snack, and it's ready in under 10 minutes.
Please note: This recipe was originally posted in May of 2021. We have updated the recipe to make it even better, as well as updated the post for more clarity & took new photos. Enjoy!
You can't go wrong with a tomato burrata salad. It's savory, fresh, and light. It's always satisfying and super easy to put together. You just need a few simple ingredients to bring it to life!
Love burrata cheese? Be sure to check out this burrata and prosciutto salad with arugula, or this burrata salad with pesto vinaigrette, try enjoying it with some delicious stone fruits in this baked nectarines and cherries with burrata.
If you're looking for more summer salad inspiration, try this blackberry salad, this grilled peach salad, and this steak salad.
If you're looking for more tasty appetizers, try this salmon bruschetta!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy. This recipe is perfect for home cooks of all skill levels. It couldn't be easier to prepare, and it will ready in 10 minutes or less!
- Made with whole foods. Delicious cheese, juicy tomatoes, and fresh basil, combined with a couple of other pantry staples make this full of really good food!
- Only 7 ingredients including the salt and pepper. It's so simple to make, and you can find everything you need at most grocery stores.
- Naturally low carb & gluten-free. Since it's made with simple fresh ingredients, it can fit numerous diet types.
🌿Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Creamy burrata cheese - We use fresh burrata cheese in place of fresh mozzarella cheese in a classic caprese salad. It's just as good, if not better in our opinion! We love the creamy center.
- Fresh tomatoes of choice - We used some juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes. You can use juicy heirloom tomatoes, or really any ripe tomatoes that you prefer. Garden tomatoes are also naturally an excellent choice!
- Balsamic vinegar or glaze - We use balsamic vinegar to make our own balsamic glaze very quickly on the stovetop, but you can also use store bought glaze.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Since there are only a few ingredients in this dish, you will want to use something high quality.
- Fresh basil leaves - Sweet Italian basil is what you will need for this.
- Kosher salt or flaky sea salt & fresh ground black pepper - Simple seasoning, but again, high quality is going to make a world of difference here.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Tomatoes. Swap cherry tomatoes for heirloom tomatoes. You can use other varieties such as Roma or beefsteak tomatoes. You can also mix and match different types of tomatoes for added flavor and color.
- Cheese. Swap burrata for mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese.
- Dressing. Swap the balsamic reduction for your favorite balsamic dressing.
- Pesto. Serve with homemade walnut pesto or homemade pesto vinaigrette!
- Greens. You can swap or add some greens to this salad, such as arugula or baby spinach, for a more nutritious and filling dish.
🔪Prep work
- If desired, you can remove the burrata from the brine it came in, and place it very carefully in a bowl of hot water. This helps the creamy center to loosen up even more.
- Cut the tomatoes in half.
- Measure out remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
If making your own balsamic reduction or glaze, add the balsamic vinegar to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it reduces by about half.
This should take 10-15 minutes. You will know it's ready when you drag a rubber spatula along the bottom of the pan and a line forms. (Image 1)
Arrange the tomatoes on the plate, then drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. (Image 2)
Add some of the olive oil and balsamic glaze, then toss to combine. (Image 3)
Arrange the basil between the tomatoes, then place the burrata in the center of it all.(Image 4)
✨Pro Tip: Warm up your burrata by removing it from the brine and placing it in hot water. This will warm it up quickly and allow the creamy center to spread easier!
Use a spoon or knife to cut open the center to let the cream spill out. (Image 5)
Season with more balsamic glaze, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Use your favorite variety of tomatoes. High-quality tomatoes will give you the best results for this recipe. In the summer, local heirloom tomatoes (from the farmer's market) would be our top choice. In the off-season, we often opt for always sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Make extra balsamic reduction. The balsamic reduction is a great condiment to have on hand, so feel free to make extra and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Warm up your burrata. You can warm up your burrata by letting it come to room temperature or by placing it in a bowl of hot water. This will make it easier to spread and loosen up over the salad.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
We don't recommend making this ahead of time, as the ingredients have a pretty short shelf life. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours.
Burrata is a very soft and luscious cheese made from cow’s milk. It comes shaped in a ball and looks similar to a ball of fresh mozzarella.
Both mozzarella and burrata are born in southern Italy, but burrata is the much younger of the two cheeses!
Burrata is the fresh, soft curds and fresh cream that are stuffed inside of mozzarella cheese scraps. This cheese was invented mostly as a way to reduce leftover mozzarella food waste, and it’s such a great invention!
A Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad. It's made with sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet Italian basil. To season and dress it, you keep it simple with salt, pepper, olive oil, and/or balsamic vinegar.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Burrata Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (¼ cup)
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (or heirloom tomatoes)
- 1 ounce fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 16 ounces burrata cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt, to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- If making your own balsamic reduction or glaze, add the balsamic vinegar to a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until it reduces by about half.This should take 10-15 minutes. You will know it's ready when you take a rubber spatula and drag it along the bottom of the pan and a line forms.
- Toss the tomatoes with a bit of olive oil, balsamic glaze, salt and pepper. We like to halve the cherry tomatoes. If you’re using a large, heirloom tomato or other variety, you will want to cut them into slices.
- Arrange the basil leaves around the tomatoes on the plate. Place the ball of burrata in the center of the tomatoes and basil. Drizzle everything with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Gently break open the burrata with a spoon so the creamy center spills out. Drizzle the remaining balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Dig in!
- Best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
Notes
- Use your favorite variety of tomatoes. High-quality tomatoes will give you the best results for this recipe. In the summer, local heirloom tomatoes (from the farmer's market) would be our top choice. In the off-season, we often opt for always sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Make extra balsamic reduction. The balsamic reduction is a great condiment to have on hand, so feel free to make extra and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Warm up your burrata. You can warm up your burrata by letting it come to room temperature or by placing it in a bowl of hot water. This will make it easier to spread and loosen up over the salad.
Tina says
Making this for a barbecue tonight - so easy to put together after I worked all day! Thanks Bri!
Briana says
That is so awesome to hear, Tina! We're so glad! Thank you so much for the comment! 🙂