This Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad elevates the classic caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, burrata, fresh herbs, and a simple vinaigrette. It’s absolutely bursting with flavor from juicy summer tomatoes! Best of all, this salad comes together in minutes and requires no cooking. Serve it up as a salad, appetizer, or side dish — perfect for any summer gathering!
Table of Contents
This Simple Salad Is the Best Way to Use Up Summer Tomatoes
I am OBSESSED with summer heirloom tomatoes. I anxiously wait all year for them to come into season and I have a garden dedicated to growing them. I’m basically living off of BLTs and and tomato sandwiches all summer long.
When you have flavorful and ripe tomatoes, you really don’t need to do much to make them shine in a recipe. Pairing them with creamy burrata, fresh herbs, some flaky sea salt, and a simple shallot vinaigrette takes them to the next level, though!
This tomato and burrata salad is equal parts elegant and approachable and would feel at home on any farm-to-table restaurant menu. Making restaurant-worthy recipes at home is my favorite party trick!
The Main Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Fresh tomatoes. The star of this salad! I used my home grown heirloom tomatoes in this burrata salad, but you can use any variety you like. The reason I adore heirloom tomatoes so much is because they’re significantly juicier and sweeter than store-bought Romas or plum tomatoes. If you can’t grow your own tomatoes, look for heirloom tomatoes at your local farmer’s market.
- Burrata. This Italian cheese looks like mozzarella at first glance, but its firm outer shell is secretly hiding a soft and creamy center. When you cut into the burrata, the cream in the middle spills out over the tomatoes. Delicious!
- Fresh herbs. I used fresh basil and oregano, but you can mix and match the herbs to your liking.
- Olive oil. You want a quality drizzling olive oil for this salad. Don’t sub the olive oil with another type of oil!
- Shallot. Yellow and red onion are too strong and will overpower the tomatoes, so stick with milder shallot in the vinaigrette.
- Vinegar. I love using sherry vinegar here because it’s super bright and tangy without being too astringent. If you don’t have sherry vinegar, try using champagne vinegar or possibly apple cider vinegar.
- Honey. Adds a little sweetness to balance out the vinegar.
- Dijon. Deepens the flavor of the vinaigrette without making it taste at all like mustard.
- Flaky sea salt. A generous sprinkling of salt is needed to enhance the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
Helpful Cooking Tools
The 4 Basic Steps to Making an Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad
- Make the dressing. In a perfect world, you’d whisk together the dressing an hour in advance so the flavors have time to meld in the fridge.
- Prep the tomatoes and burrata. I like to cut my tomatoes to approx. 1/2 inch thickness. Any thinner, and they’ll be tough to serve. Arrange the torn burrata around the tomatoes on a platter for a pretty presentation.
- Slap the herbs before adding. I know this sounds strange, but slapping the basil and oregano between your palms makes them more aromatic. Slicing basil can make it bitter and it will oxidize faster.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over top. I also seasoned my salad with flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Jenny’s Top Tips for Making This Salad
Make sure you’re using ripe tomatoes. I cannot overstate this enough!! Make sure you’re using beautiful and ripe tomatoes. When you select them, they should be bright and shiny and give slightly when you squeeze them, but not be so ripe that they feel mushy.
Use a serrated knife to cut the tomatoes. When tomatoes are ripe, they’re much harder to cut through. To avoid smushing or squashing them, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the tomatoes into slices.
Slap your herbs! No, I know this sounds silly but it releases oils in the herbs and makes them much more fragrant and flavorful. Before pulling them off the stem, give them a quick slap a couple of times before sprinkling them over the tomatoes.
Use really good quality olive oil. And not the kind you cook with, either! Pick a flavorful and robust olive oil that’s meant for drizzling. When your vinaigrette is simple, you want to make sure you’re using the best quality ingredients.
Main Dishes to Make This a Meal
This burrata salad is super versatile and great with so many dishes! It’s the embodiment of summer and just begging to be served at your next backyard BBQ or party. Here are some of my favorite main dishes to serve it with:
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Summer Salads to Make with Fresh Tomatoes
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.
Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs heirloom tomatoes
- 8 oz burrata (2 balls), drained and patted dry
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
- maldon flaky salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Vinaigrette
- 1/2 small shallot, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/3 cup good quality drizzling olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, olive oil, dijon, and honey until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. It’s best to make the dressing at least 1 hour in advance so that the flavors can meld.
- Prep the tomatoes and burrata. Use a sharp knife to cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Lay the sliced tomatoes out on a serving platter. Sprinkle them with flaky salt and pepper. Arrange the burrata around the tomatoes. Slap the herb leaves lightly between your palms, then sprinkle them over the tomatoes and burrata.
- Dress the salad. Use a spoon to drizzle the vinaigrette over the tomatoes and burrata and serve.
Rate & Review This Recipe
No comments yet — be the first to rate and review!