No ordinary tomato salad. This one is runway ready. Celebrating sweet tomatoes layered with heavenly burrata, this is a super easy light salad to prepare. Indoors or outdoors, this Quick Tomato Salad is perfect for entertaining.
What is Burrata Cheese?
Made using fresh cow’s milk, burrata has a delicate and soft texture which oozes a buttery consistency unlike any other soft cow’s cheese. I only discovered burrata last year when dining out with friends and it quickly became a firm favourite in the house.
Shaped like a money bag, the outer shell of the burrata is made from solid mozzarella skin while inside contains stracciatella (shredded mozzarella cheese) mixed with cream. This combination creates a mild, delicate yet deliciously creamy flavour.
Burrata and fresh mozzarella are similar – both semi-soft cheese, not aged and eaten soon after being made. However, burrata takes fresh mozzarella a little further and creates a different texture and experience. The main difference between the two is the creamy stracciatella inside the burrata.
How to Eat Burrata?
Keeping it simple is the best way to eat burrata. Just drizzle with good olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt, easy. Burrata pairs well with many ingredients both meat and vegetables such as our Charred Fennel Salad with Bresaola.
Served fresh and at room temperature, I love scooping up the soft cheese with my favourite olive bread. Just heavenly. I feel I need some now as I’m writing this recipe!
Which Varieties of Tomatoes Are the Sweetest?
Sweet, flavoursome tomatoes are one my favourite fruits to eat. Love them raw, grilled, sauced, souped, juiced – hahaha every way you can think of, I’m a fan. We have tried to grow our own tomatoes in the vegie patch but not successfully.
Cherry tomatoes seem to do ok but the others not so much. I wish we could though! It would be amazing to try all the different heirloom varieties in our own backyard.
For this easy tomato salad recipe, I loved selecting the different varieties for a blend of colour, shapes and flavours. There are more than 3000 tomato varieties cultivating across the globe. Other than the traditional red ones, there are many shades of yellow, orange, green, purple, pink – even striped and nearly all black ones too!
And when it comes to flavour, they all do vary as well. They can be sweet, tart or tangy. If you are going for a sweet variety, the size of the fruit does make a difference. Larger varieties like beefsteak can be less sweet compared to smaller varieties. Small, compact, juicy with higher sugar levels, cherry and grape tomatoes will be your best choice.
Tomatoes also take on another level of sweetness when you blister them, which is exactly what we’ve done in these 2 salad recipes: Asparagus, Roasted Onion and Balsamic Tomato Salad or Blistered Tomato and Basil Salad with Israeli Couscous.
Why I Love Quick Tomato Salad with Burrata
This recipe is all about the fresh produce. There is no hiding between salad leaves or crunchy elements. As a fan of the humble tomato, I love how this quick tomato salad celebrates it in all its glory.
The delicate milky flavour of burrata adds creaminess, balsamic vinegar dials up the natural acidity, peppery radishes gives extra texture and the salty capers are there to enhance the natural flavours. Everything on the plate magnifies the sweetness of the tomatoes.
And the best part, little effort is required to prepare for a beautiful looking tomato and burrata salad!
How to Make Quick Tomato Salad with Burrata
How to Cut Tomatoes for Salad
This recipe calls for a variety of tomatoes but don’t feel constrained by the ones I have selected. Buy whichever ones that are most ripe and plump looking at the time. Just make sure you select a variety of colours and shapes as this will definitely help the overall appearance of the salad.
Always start with a sharp knife. Without a sharp knife when slicing tomatoes, I find I end up squishing them down.
For the large beefsteak tomatoes, we want to cut them crossways. Place the tomato sideways and slice the tomato into ½ cm thick slices.
For the smaller tomatoes, cut them in half from top to bottom. If you have very small cherry tomatoes, you can leave some of the whole too.
How to Make the Salad
I find radishes very understated. Rather than the usual carrot and cucumber sticks, I often have radishes for dips. Small peppery morsel that adds crunch and bite.
Wash and rinse radishes well. Trim the stalks and then thinly slice from top to bottom.
How to Assemble the Salad
On a large serving plate, place beefsteak tomato slices first around the plate. Then layer the smaller tomatoes around the slices. Mix them around so you can have a variety in colour and flavour when you scoop the salad.
Scatter radish slices, basil leaves and baby capers evenly across the plate.
To serve, place burrata in the middle of salad, drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
That’s it. Simple. And now you have a very good looking tomatoes and burrata salad for all your entertaining days.
And if you are on a low carb diet of sorts, forget it. This quick tomato salad is perfect with warm crusty bread so you can keep scooping the tomatoes and burrata onto it. So it will have to be one of those “treat days.” LOL.
That’s all!
More Easy Salad Recipes:
- Edamame Pasta Salad with Asparagus
- Five Spice Tofu Salad with Vietnamese Cha Lua
- Blistered Tomato and Basil Salad with Israeli Couscous
- Asian Pear Salad with Soba and Hot Smoked Salmon
- Radicchio, Baby Gem, Orange and Ruby Grapefruit Salad
Easy Salad Dressing Recipes:
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Quick Tomato Salad with Burrata
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes, flat or beefsteak
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 250 g yellow pecorino tomatoes
- 100 g black kumato tomatoes
- 1 bunch radish
- 1 burrata cheese
- ½ bunch basil
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, aged
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Cut large beefsteak/flat tomatoes crossways into ½ cm thick slices
- Cut smaller tomatoes in half from top to bottom. If you have very small cherry tomatoes, you can leave some of the whole too.
- Trim stalks and thinly slice radishes. Use a mandoline for better consistency if you have one.
Assembly
- Layer large beefsteak tomatoes first on plate.
- Then place smaller tomatoes around them.
- Scatter radish slices, basil leaves and baby capers evenly across the plate.
- Add burrata in the middle of the plate.
- Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt.
Equipment
Notes
- Buy tomatoes that are most ripe and plump looking at the time. Do not need to follow the list above. Just make sure you select a variety of colours and shapes as this will definitely help the overall appearance of the salad.
- Can be easily pack for outdoor picnics or gatherings. Pre-cut all the tomatoes and store in a container with radishes, capers and basil. You could dress the tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil first if not travelling far. Don’t remove burrata from its original packaging. Transport burrata in brine.
Nutrition
8 comments
This tomato salad is simply beautiful! Love all of the vibrant colors, and that burrata! Yum!
Thank you! Small cherry tomatoes nowadays are so plump and vibrant in colour. It’s one of our favourite ingredients!
I love burrata but rarely see recipes that feature this delicious cheese. This one looks great, healthy but flavorful!
You’re right! We odn’t use it enough. They are perfect for salads as it adds some creaminess. So good!
Burrata is one of my “new found favorites!” I know it pairs beautifully with those tomatoes.
And aren’t they just so stunning to look at too? And yes, perfect with those juicy tomatoes:)
This is such a heavenly combination! The tomatoes you have are gorgeous – I love when food is so naturally lovely!
We couldn’t agree with you more Patricia. We love it when ingredients speak for themselves too!