This gorgeous Burrata Caprese is our favourite eye-popping salad to serve at an Italian feast.
Your friends and family will love forking through this easy homemade vegetarian salad featuring plump burrata cheese, sweet summer tomatoes, fragrant basil, nutty pesto and toasted pine nuts.
This colourful salad is the perfect way to pair juicy tomatoes with creamy burrata cheese. Enjoy it as a main course all on it’s own as a simple lunch or as a side dish at an Italian-themed dinner party alongside a basket of freshly sliced sourdough or baguette.
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What Is A Burrata Caprese Salad?
Burrata is an Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture.
It is a typical product of Murgia in the south of Italy. It may have origins dating back to 1900 on the Bianchini brothers farm in the city of Andria. More recent records have shown that Lorenzo Bianchini of the Piana Padura farm first developed the product in 1956.
Burrata is considered one of Italy’s most decadent cheeses and its steeper price makes it the perfect imported product to serve at a special celebration. There’s no better way to serve a ball of creamy burrata then as the star of a colourful summer Caprese Salad.
A traditional Caprese Salad is made of sliced fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and fragrant basil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Like Margherita Pizza, the salad features the colours of the Italian flag: green, white, and red.
In Italy, the salad is usually served as an antipasto, which can be eaten any time of day. It is just one form of a “Caprese dish,” it may also be served as a pasta, sandwich or risotto.
We love to serve this easy Burrata Caprese Salad topped with toasted pine nuts and dollops of nutty pesto.
Travel to Italy by Making Burrata Caprese at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, France, Malta and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to Italy is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Volterra, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sorano, Montalcino, Siena) are unique from what you’d find in Venice, Modena, Milan, Rome and the Amalfi Coast.
If you’re visiting Italy in the spring or summer months you’ll find restaurants serving fresh juicy tomatoes in a Burrata Caprese. The dish is typically served before the pasta course with a side of sliced focaccia bread, perfect for sopping up the leftover tomato juices and burrata cream.
Once back home from an Italian holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the regional flavours of Italy and can impress friends and family by making this traditional Burrata Caprese Salad recipe!
Where To Eat Burrata Caprese Salad
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Italian restaurant that serves Burrata Caprese.
Haven’t traveled to Italy before? It may be helpful to first sample this cheese lovers salad at a local Italian restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can assess the ideal burrata to tomato ratio, preferred herbs and nuts to garnish the plate and other Italian recipes that will compliment the salad at the table.
In Toronto, popular Italian restaurants in Yorkville, King West and Ossington that may serve a Burrata Caprese Salad include Bar Vendetta, Buca, Superpoint, Amano, Fabbrica, Oretta, FIGO, Nodo, Locale Mercatto, The Good Son, Taverna Mercatto, Ascari Enoteca, Il Fornello or Gusto 101.
My Family Loves Burrata Caprese
I love cooking Italian food for my family.
I first prepared this Burrata Caprese recipe on a sunny day in August at our cottage in Muskoka. During peak summer harvest season I visited our local farmers market and found a basket of bright red juicy tomatoes screaming my name!
I knew my family would enjoy this Italian salad recipe because they love burrata cheese, fresh tomatoes, pesto and crusty bread. The cream that spills out of the burrata cheese when sliced or torn offers a truly decadent eating experience. Especially when muddled with fresh tomato juice and sweet balsamic reduction.
We shared the eye-popping salad at lunch paired with a cool glass of white wine.
You may also enjoy these popular burrata recipes: Arugula Fig Burrata and Prosciutto Salad + Burrata Bruschetta Crostini with Tomato Chutney + Summer Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad.
Recipe Health Benefits
Our Burrata Caprese recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
Pine Nuts are rich in magnesium, iron, antioxidants, zinc, and protein, which can help with diabetes management, heart health, and brain health.
Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese; a very good source of copper, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), and vitamin C; and a good source of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids making it quite nutrient rich!
Recipe Tips
This Burrata Caprese recipe is quick and easy to make at home. Here are some tips for first time salad tossers:
- We like to use a combination of tomato varities in this recipe as the various shapes and sizes are eye catching. You can use whatever tomatoes you’d like but we prefer slices of beefsteak tomatoes paired with smaller cherry or grape tomatoes.
- We’ve used burrata cheese in this recipe but you can substitue with fresh mozzarella or bocconcini.
- We’ve flavoured the salad with fresh basil but you can use other tender summer herbs like mint or dill.
- We like to drizzle balsamic vinegar reduction over the salad before serving but you can substitute with honey.
- Pine nuts are a popular nut in Italy and offer a delightful crunch in this salad. You can substitute with other roasted nuts like pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts if you prefer.
- If you want to give the salad more heft, decorate the plate with arugula, mixed greens or finely chopped romaine lettuce.
- We like to serve the salad with sliced focaccia or fresh sourdough. Highly recommend sopping up the leftover burrata cream and tomato juice with a slice of bread.
- We suggest serving Burrata Caprese with a Southern Italian white wine such as Vermentino, Greco and Trebbiano.
What To Serve With Burrata Caprese Salad
There’s nothing more decadent than forking through a creamy and juicy salad featuring burrata cheese, summer tomatoes, crunchy roasted pine nuts and fragrant fresh basil.
You can serve this salad all on its own as a light lunch or at a summer barbecue with grilled steak, barbecued prawns and marinated antipasto.
We like to serve the salad with a basket of sliced focaccia and fresh sourdough. Highly recommend sopping up the leftover burrata cream, tomato juice and balsamic vinegar with a slice of crusty bread.
If you’re looking to host an Italian-themed dinner party serve Burrata Caprese Salad with some of our favourite recipes:
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour Cocktail
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
- Italian Prosecco and Gin Cocktail
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
- Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
- Sartu Di Riso Italian Baked Risotto
- Maccheroni al Ferretto Pasta with Beef Ragu
- Vegetarian Gorgonzola Risotto al Radicchio
- Creamy Prime Rib Pasta
- Crispy Roast Chicken and Leek Risotto
- Easy Caprese Gnocchi Cheese Bake Casserole
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Homemade Corzetti Pasta
- Burrata Bruschetta Crostini with Tomato Chutney
- Culurgiones Sardinian Cheese & Potato Stuffed Pasta
- Involtini di Pollo with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts, & Cheese
- Healthy Vegetarian Mafalda Pasta Noodles
- Creamy Parmesan Ditalini Soup
- Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu
- Cheesy Polenta Recipe
You May Also Enjoy These Salad Recipes…
- Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts
- Warm Indian Vegan Sprouted Mung Bean Salad
- Scallion Dill Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
- Sangchu Geotjeori Sweet and Sour Korean Lettuce Salad
- Yum Woon Sen Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- Vegan Lebanese Cabbage Malfouf Salad
- Toasted Pecan Parmesan Pear and Rocket Salad
- Cambozola Currant Pear and Fennel Salad
- Healthy Romaine Salad With Tahini Caesar Dressing
- Cilantro Ginger Lime Cajun Shrimp Salad
- Vegan Spicy Turkish Salsa Ezme Salata Salad
- Kisir Recipe Healthy Vegan Turkish Bulgur Salad
- Egyptian Salad Vegan Salata Baladi
- Healthy Vegetarian Lebanese Eggplant Fatteh
- Vegan Citrus “Rojak” Singapore Salad
- Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad with Beetroot & Pine Nuts
- Nam Tok Authentic Thai “Waterfall Beef” Salad
- Laos Papaya Salad Tum Mak Hoong
How To Make Easy Burrata Caprese Salad
Burrata Caprese Salad
Equipment
- French knife
- Serving Platter or Plate
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 lb Beefsteak Tomatoes + Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Burrata Cheese
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Reduction
- 1/4 cup Pesto
- 1 tbsp Toasted Pine Nuts
- 1/4 cup Fresh Basil sliced
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Slice an assortment of beefsteak and cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Arrange the tomatoes on a serving platter with the burrata in the centre.
- Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic reduction all over. Add dollops of pesto. Sprinkle with pine nuts, sliced basil and salt. Serve with toasted crusty bread.
Nutrition
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