Tomato Salad with Burrata Cheese is a healthy salad with a touch of decadence ~ use ripe tomatoes and fresh basil for an epic appetizer, lunch, or side dish.
With just a few ingredients, this tomato salad is one of the highlights of Mediterranean cuisine
I don’t know if there’s a heaven, but if there is, I’m pretty sure they serve this for lunch…a beautiful, light, and healthy tomato salad, with a big blob of cream filled burrata cheese right in the middle of the plate. The luxurious cheese is your reward for lunching on wedges of fresh heirloom tomatoes lightly dressed with olive oil and fruity vinegar.
Mix and match regular and colorful heirloom tomatoes for this salad
I know it’s a little early in the season for tomatoes, but this can serve as inspiration for the days ahead. I love to pick through a big pile of heirloom tomatoes for just the right combination of colors. I could stand there for hours! Even then, you never know exactly what you’ve got until you cut into them. Heirloom tomatoes are jaw-droppingly beautiful, but their flavor is mellow. The key to this salad is combining them with the sharper, tangier bite of smaller tomatoes. The nice thing is that small cherry sized tomatoes are available all year long, and their acidity works really well with the rich cheese. Just remember that no matter how small your tomatoes are, cut them in half to allow their juice and flavor to permeate the salad.
Fresh basil adds vibrant flavor
For this salad I plucked the only the smallest basil leaves and tucked them in here and there. That way the basil doesn’t get bruised and it stays fresh and green. Put this salad together at the last minute right before you want to eat because you want everything at its freshest. The juices from the tomatoes will mix with the olive oil and the vinegar to form nature’s best dressing. You only need to add salt and pepper just before you break apart the burrata cheese. I’m getting all worked up just thinking about it!
Tomato Burrata Salad
Ingredients
- heirloom tomatoes of varying colors
- smaller cherry or strawberry tomatoes
- a handful of small basil leaves
- a ball of burrata cheese
- olive oil
- fruity vinegar or whatever vinegar you like
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the heirloom tomatoes into wedges and cut the smaller tomatoes in half.
- Arrange them on a plate or shallow bowl with the ball of burrata cheese in the center.
- Just before serving, tuck the basil leaves in and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Notes
This recipe is right up my alley. I’m a salad eater and love to try new things. Tomatoes are definitely in season here, so it’s really great timing to try this out.
Oh wow! This looks crazy good. I’m so ready for summer produce.
Love Burrata! And I love this salad!
It’s just cruel to make me so hungry for vine ripened tomatoes when they are months away. That and herbs are the only things I grow in my back yard. I have to admit that I’ve never tried Burrata cheese. It sounds like I’m in for a treat.
That’s a beautiful salad. I haven’t had burrata cheese in a while and now I am craving it!
I just rediscovered it recently, and now I’m not satisfied with regular mozzarella anymore 🙂
We’ve been researching and planning our tomato garden already – and we still have snow on the ground. I adore tomatoes and can’t wait for a salad like this! It is absolutely beautiful and simple and completely perfect. Thanks – have a great week Sue!
I have no patience for growing tomatoes, I wish I did — I hope you’re planting some interesting varieties!
my dad could eat a whole bucket of tomatoes! He just loves them as so do I! the cheese sounds amazing with it. Where on earth can I find it I wonder. I have never seen it in our store before
I know you can find it the more upscale stores, and Whole Foods, etc., but I think many regular grocery stores have it too, it looks just like fresh mozzarella, the one that comes in the plastic tubs, so you have to read the labels carefully. I believe Trader Joe’s carries it, too.
I’ve made this exact salad, but I sliced my burrata. Yours is SO much prettier! I cannot wait till tomato season. I will definitely make this again 🙂
Oh I have to go take a look !
This is my idea of heaven too, love tomatoes with rich burrata!
OMG , who doesn’t like Burrata cheese? We inhale this stuff! Perfect for Spring !!