Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad

Salad with sweet heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and creamy burrata with herbs and balsamic vinegar dressing. This 10 minutes Heirloom Burrata Caprese Salad is perfect side salad to brighten flavor of any summer meal.

I love serving salads such as this Tomatoes Salad as dinner sides for three reasons:

1. It is clean and simple salad; super easy to make and needs just a few ingredients.
2. Since ingredients are few, the flavor of each ingredient shines through. A refreshing side salad in my opinion.
3. A delicious way to include seasonal veggies in meal.

Honestly, it is more than a side salad. When I'm in mood for salad for dinner, I love enjoying this salad with side crusty toasted bread to devour the creamy burrata and tomatoes with garlicky balsamic dressing. My all-time favorite! (yum)

Devour Burrata Caprese!!

If you love Tomatoes and Basil? I'm sure you will love one of my top reader-favorite recipe - Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

What is Burrata?

Simply put, burrata is fresh mozzarella filled with fresh cream. I have seen the assembly of burrata once on show Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy. It was amazing to watch how fresh mozzarella is filled with cream, tied to a small bundle (like a purse). If you buy fresh burrata, this is how it is sold. It tastes like a cross between fresh cottage cheese and fresh mozzarella. Best of both really.

Today, I used burrata to make Burrata and Heirloom Tomatoes Salad. You can use burrata in any dish which needs little creaminess. All dishes that use fresh mozzarella will taste even better with creamy burrata. I mean, this Burrata Caprese Salad, Or Pizza Margareta with Burrata, Burrata Pasta, Burrata Lasagna! Options are endless.

You will find burrata in the Cheese section of the local grocery store.

Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes is delicious combination of sweet and creamy. The main ingredients to make salad are:

1. Heirloom Tomatoes
2. Burrata
3. Basil Leaves
4. Oregano
5. Olive Oil
6. Balsamic
7. Garlic
8. Salt
9. Pepper

Tip: For this salad I often also substitute fresh mozzarella for burrata and sweet cherry tomatoes for Heirloom Tomatoes.

Making Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata Salad:

When recipe is so simple that comes together in 10 minutes, it calls for fresh and good quality ingredients.

To make the salad, I start by making the dressing. This dressing recipe is special because it is a versatile dressing with mellow flavor of garlic. To tame the flavor of garlic, I add minced garlic in warm olive oil which perfumes the oil with garlic but also eliminates the raw garlic taste. 

Rest of the recipe is very simple. Slice tomatoes, top with diced or teared burrata and fresh basil. Spoon the balsamic vinaigrette on the top. 

Serve immediately with your favorite summer meal!

I highly recommend assembling Heirloom Tomatoes Salad just before serving. However, if you like lite marinated tomatoes i.e., tomatoes marinated in garlic-herb balsamic dressing? Then make the salad, add dressing, and then refrigerate (covered) for 30 minutes before serving.

Note: Heirloom Tomatoes yield liquid as tomatoes sit in the dressing. Don't discard the tasty liquid collected at the bottom of salad platter. Reserve it to flavor a marinade or soak-in liquid with crusty bread and devour!

Grilled Heirloom Tomatoes

Try same salad with grilled heirloom tomatoes. If you happen to find firm heirloom tomatoes, I recommend try grilled tomatoes salad. Simply cut tomatoes into thick round slices, and then grill briefly with little olive oil and salt. Grilled tomatoes have concentrated sweet flavor which goes great with burrata and garlic dressing.

Really, the herb dressing with balsamic, topped on fresh basil, sweet heirloom tomatoes and fresh burrata. What not to like?

Oh, please don't forget to serve crusty bread on the side. (Toasted or grilled) It is perfect to mop the tasty burrata cream seasoned with garlic-herb balsamic vinaigrette and sweet tomatoes. So delicious. You will love it. You can thank me later. :)