Burrata And Heirloom Tomato Salad

Are you looking for ideas for those garden tomatoes? Burrata and heirloom tomato salad is ready in 15 minutes. Creamy, soft burrata in the center, deeply flavored tomatoes around it, torn basil on top, and a drizzle of your best olive oil. Served with toasted slices of baguette, it works as a starter, a side, or dinner for 2-3.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Peak-season tomatoes need almost nothing. Salt, burrata, basil, and olive oil are it.
• It works as an appetizer, a side dish, or the centerpiece of a summer dinner.
• Scales up or down easily for an intimate dinner party or casual backyard gathering.

Ingredients

A few notes on what to buy and what to skip for a tomato and burrata salad.

• Tomatoes: Any ripe, in-season tomato will work here - heirloom, garden slicers, or cherry tomatoes. Cherokee Purple and Carbon are my favorite varieties for best tasting. If you're shopping at a farmers market or picking from a CSA box, use whatever looks best. If it's not peak season, cherry tomatoes from the store hold up better than out-of-season slicers, which tend to be bland and pale. One variety to skip: Roma-style tomatoes. Their skins are thick, and their texture is too dense for this kind of salad. They are best left for cooking into a sauce like my tomato paste recipe.
• Burrata: Fresh burrata comes packed in water, usually as 2, 4-ounce balls or an 8-ounce ball. The outside is fresh mozzarella, but the center is a thick cream mixed with small pieces of mozzarella. It's more widely available now than it used to be. Whole Foods sells the Buf Creamery brand. BelGioioso is another option sold at most well-stocked grocery stores. You can use more than the recipe calls for if you want more to spread on your bread.
• Olive oil: Use your best extra virgin here. Taste various olive oils to find the one that you like the best. My favorite is from California Olive Ranch
• Maldon sea salt flakes: I serve a pot of salt with this salad. Salt flakes are optional, but worth it. The light, crunchy flakes add a finishing texture. You'll find it in the spice aisle or at Costco and Whole Foods.

See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

Top Tip

Salt the sliced tomatoes before they go on the plate, and let them sit on the cutting board for 10 minutes. The salt draws out extra moisture. You'll see the juices pool on the board. Leave those behind when you transfer the tomatoes to the platter. I do the same thing when making my cucumber noodles.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat the broiler or grill on high.

Step 1: Slice tomatoes into bite-sized wedges. If using cherry tomatoes, slice them in half. Sprinkle Diamond Crystal kosher salt over them on the cutting board. Let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out the juices.

Step 2: Slice the baguette into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over the cut sides.

Step 3: Toast the bread for 1-2 minutes per side under the broiler, on the grill, or in a toaster until lightly browned.

Step 4: Place the salted tomatoes around the serving plate or wide bowl, leaving their pooled juices behind on the cutting board. Lay the ball of burrata in the center.

Step 5: Hand-tear the fresh basil leaves into roughly ½-inch pieces and scatter them over the tomatoes and burrata.

Step 6: Drizzle olive oil over everything. Finish with Maldon salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve: Use a spoon to scoop tomatoes and burrata over the toasted baguette slices. Place a small pot of Maldon flaky sea salt close by for those who want more.

Variations & Substitutions

• Edible Flowers: Nasturtiums bloom right around the same time tomatoes peak in the garden, which makes them a natural garnish for this salad. They are edible with a lingering peppery flavor like a radish. Garlic chives also start to bloom during tomato season. Use their individual white star-like flowers. If you grow them or spot them at a farmers market, scatter a few over the top before serving.
• Greens: Add edible ornamental leaves for more visual contrast and flavors such as small blood sorrel leaves with their red veins, French sorrel, and baby beet leaves.
• Burrata: Fresh mozzarella is a fine substitute. Buy bite-sized mozzarella or cut it into small pieces. The plate won't have the same creamy center, but the flavor combination is still excellent.
• Baguette: Substitute with crostini, French bread, or serve without bread entirely. This also works as a side dish on its own alongside grilled pork tenderloins or grilled salmon on a Traeger.
• Basil: Italian oregano, flat-leaf Italian parsley, or fresh mint all work if you're out of basil. You can also drizzle basil pesto over the tomatoes.

Make Ahead Instructions

This salad is best assembled just before serving. However, you can prep a couple of items ahead of time.

• Toast the baguette slices up to 2 hours ahead. Store covered at room temperature.
• Slice and salt the tomatoes up to 30 minutes before serving. Keep them on the cutting board and leave the juices behind when you plate.

Storage Information

This salad does not store well once assembled. The tomatoes soften as they sit in their juices.

FAQ

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