There is nothing better than a burrata and tomato salad with sun-filled fresh tomatoes topped with fresh herbs as a side or appetizer.
What do you need to make this a success?
Amazing tomatoes: The key to an amazing burrata and tomato salad is the freshness and variety of the tomatoes. I enjoy either a combination of different colored small tomatoes like cherry, raisin, or similar-sized tomatoes. If you go for larger-sized tomatoes, heirloom and beefsteak are great to slice and place at the bottom. To avoid ruining the tomatoes’ flavor, do not put them in the refrigerator.
Cucumbers: Cucumbers add a nice crunch to the salad and freshness. I particularly like the Lebanese cucumber type which is smaller and tastier for salads
Creamy burrata: There is a multitude of burrata you can buy on the market. I like the fresh type that is very creamy inside. It melds well with the vinaigrette and makes an unctuous sauce to complement the salad.
Vinaigrette: The vinaigrette is quite simple with a mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, herbs, garlic, chili pepper, and shallot.
Herbs: I particularly like parsley, basil, and oregano but feel free to try different combinations. If you grow your own herbs or have the chance to fall upon dried oregano flowers, you are in for a treat as they pair really nicely with this salad!
Sourdough bread: Accompanying this salad with a good slice of grilled sourdough bread flavored with fresh garlic is just amazing! You can dip it in the sauce, add burrata cheese and some tomatoes for a nice bite or just make your tomato and burrata toast!
Garnishes: During the summertime, you have the opportunity to fall on a lot of great edible flowers and microgreens. Experiment with them as they are really tasty and are very visually appealing garnishes. One example I really enjoy for both taste and presentation is nasturtium flowers. They are the bright orange flowers in the pictures within the recipe.
Tips to make this delicious salad
Mix up the types of tomatoes for a great presentation
Different varieties of tomatoes contribute to the taste of the salad as they all taste different and have different textures. Furthermore, using a combination of dark, red, yellow, orange, and mixed varieties really helps with the presentation and look of your salad.
Let your tomatoes sweat to enhance the flavor
Letting your chopped tomatoes sweat with some salt for about 15 minutes will remove some of the moisture and intensify their flavor.
Infuse the vinaigrette with a portion of your herbs
Letting your fresh herbs infuse your vinaigrette before serving will elevate the flavor on every bite!
What to eat with this salad?
Do try to pair this salad with grilled meats such as Chicken Shish Taouk, Beef Kofta Kebab, or Prosciutto-Wrapped Grilled Pork Loin.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounces) burrata ball
- 1 lb of tomatoes (varied sizes and colors)
- 1 red chili pepper, minced
- 2 small Lebanese cucumbers, halved and chopped
- Nasturtium flowers (optional), for garnish
- 1/2 cup of basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped or 1tsp of dried oregano
- 2 tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 garlic clove, whole
- 4 slices of Fresh sourdough bread, grilled
Instructions
- If you have smaller tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, cut them in halves or quarters. If you have larger tomatoes like heirloom tomatoes, slice them.
- Take a colander and add to it your cut tomatoes. Add a generous sprinkling of salt and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- During that time, prepare your vinaigrette. Mince your shallots and mix with the garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil.
- Slice your red chili pepper lengthwise, seed and devein it and then thinly slice. Add 3/4 of it to the vinaigrette and keep the rest for your garnish.
- For the fresh chopped herbs, mix half of the herb in the vinaigrette to let the flavors meld with the vinaigrette.
- Drain your tomatoes from excess moisture from the salt and add them to a bowl.
- Add the chopped cucumber to the bowl.
- Before serving add the vinaigrette and the herbs and mix the salad.
- Place the burrata cheese in the middle of a salad serving plate and add the tomato salad around it.
- Sprinkle chili on the burrata, remaining herbs over the salad, and season with salt and pepper.
- Toast or grill your bread slices and brush the whole garlic half on the bread to infuse garlic flavor.
Nutrition Information
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
