Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil is summer on a platter, and it comes together in about 10 minutes. The trick is salting the tomatoes first so they make their own dressing. That one step is the whole difference between fine and unforgettable.
I make this on repeat from July through September, usually on the nights when turning on the stove feels like a personal attack. It is barely a recipe. Good tomatoes, a ball of burrata, and a little patience do all the work.
The patience part is where people quit, so let me talk you out of it. Salt your tomatoes and walk away. What happens next is the entire point.
Why You’ll Love This Salad
- It is fast. About 10 minutes start to finish, and the oven never turns on.
- Four ingredients carry it. Tomatoes, burrata, basil, and good olive oil. Everything else is seasoning.
- The salting trick does the work for you. The tomatoes make their own dressing while you stand there doing nothing.
- It looks like a centerpiece. A whole ball of burrata in the middle of a platter earns more credit than the effort deserves.
- It bends to whatever you have. Serve it as a side, a light dinner, or a base for peaches and prosciutto.
What Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tomatoes: The ripest you can find, at room temperature, never cold from the fridge. Heirloom, vine, or beefsteak all work. This is most of the flavor, so do not cheap out here.
- Burrata: One ball, drained, and also at room temperature so the center is soft and creamy instead of tight and cold.
- Fresh basil: Torn by hand. A knife bruises it and turns the edges black.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use a good one. It is half the dressing, so it should taste like something.
- Balsamic glaze: Thick and a little sweet. Plain balsamic vinegar works too, just use a lighter hand.
- Garlic: One clove, finely minced, for a quiet background note. Raw garlic is loud, so one is plenty.
- Salt: It does double duty here, seasoning the tomatoes and pulling out their juice.
- Flaky sea salt: For finishing, because a little crunch at the end makes everything taste more like itself.
How to Make Tomato Burrata Salad
Salt the tomatoes first. Arrange the wedges on a platter, slightly overlapping, and season them right away with the salt. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes. They will release their juice onto the platter, and that juice is the secret. Do not skip this and do not wipe it up.
Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, balsamic, minced garlic, and black pepper together in a small bowl while the tomatoes do their thing.
Add the burrata. Drain it and set the whole ball in the center of the platter. Leave it whole so everyone can break into it at the table. It is more fun and it looks better.
Scatter the basil. Tear the larger leaves and drop them over the top.
Dress and finish. Drizzle the dressing over everything, sweep through the tomato juice as you go, finish with flaky sea salt, and serve immediately with crusty bread.
Tips and Tricks
Bring everything to room temperature. Cold tomatoes taste flat and cold burrata stays firm. Twenty minutes on the counter fixes both.
Do not skip the salting step. It is the difference between a salad that is fine and one people ask about. Five minutes is good, 10 is better.
Use bread you actually like. There is always tomato juice and burrata cream left on the platter, and bread is how you get every last bit.
Serve it the moment it comes together. Burrata weeps, basil bruises, and the tomatoes have already given you everything. This is not a salad that waits.
Variations
- Add stone fruit. Sliced peaches or nectarines with the tomatoes lean the whole thing sweeter and very late summer.
- Make it a meal. Drape a few slices of prosciutto around the platter and it goes from side to dinner.
- Change the herb. Mint or oregano in place of, or alongside, the basil shifts the flavor without much effort.
- Bring some heat. A pinch of chili flakes or a drizzle of hot honey over the burrata plays beautifully against the cream.
- No burrata. Fresh mozzarella is a fine stand in. You lose the molten center, but the salad still holds up.
Try These Salads Next
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes (cut into wedges or thick slices)
- 1 ball burrata cheese (about 8 ounces (227 grams))
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- flaky sea salt (for finishing)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Arrange the tomato wedges on a large serving platter, slightly overlapping. Season them right away with the salt and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This draws out their juices and is what makes regular tomatoes taste like summer instead of like nothing.
- Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic, minced garlic, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Drain the burrata and place the whole ball in the center of the platter, letting everyone break into it at the table. Scatter the basil leaves over the top, tearing the larger ones. Drizzle the dressing over everything, finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, and serve immediately with crusty bread.
Notes
- Don’t skip the salting step. Season the tomatoes and let them sit 5 to 10 minutes so they release their juice. That juice becomes part of the dressing.
- Bring the tomatoes and burrata to room temperature before you start. Cold dulls both.
- Serve immediately. Once dressed, this salad does not hold.
- Balsamic glaze gives a thicker, sweeter finish. Plain balsamic vinegar works too, just use a lighter hand.
- Best the day you make it. Leftovers keep in the fridge up to a day but will soften.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Tomato Burrata Salad ahead of time?
Not really, and I would not try. Burrata turns watery sitting out and the dressed tomatoes go soft. You can slice the tomatoes and whisk the dressing a couple hours ahead, but salt and assemble right before serving.
What are the best tomatoes for this salad?
The ripest ones you can find, and please let them sit on the counter, not in the fridge. Heirloom, vine ripened, and beefsteak all work beautifully. Cold tomatoes taste like nothing, which defeats the entire point.
Can I use regular mozzarella instead of burrata?
You can, and fresh mozzarella is a fine stand in. You lose the creamy center that spills out when you cut into burrata, which is half the joy, but the salad still works.
I do not have balsamic glaze. What can I use?
Plain balsamic vinegar is fine. It is thinner and a little sharper, so start with less and taste as you go. A quick simmer on the stove will thicken it into a glaze if you want the syrupy version.
How do I store leftovers?
This one is best eaten the day you make it. If you have leftovers, keep them in the fridge for up to a day, but know the burrata and tomatoes will have softened. It will taste like a memory of the original.
