Classic pairings of truss tomato with Stracciatella di Buffalo mingled with a deliciously fresh basil and mint pesto. Stunning to serve and easy to make. Pretty good, hey?
What is Truss Tomato?
I love seeing tomatoes, this humble fruit, in season at the local greengrocer. So many beautiful colours, shapes and sizes. Red, orange, yellow, green and even black tomatoes.
No longer are the days where we just get the good ol’ round, red ones. There are literally thousands of tomato varieties cultivated across the globe.
Truss tomato is a very popular variety of tomato. They are nutritious and bursting with intense flavour. Grown in clusters on a stem, truss tomatoes are harvested on the vine.
By keeping them on the vine, truss tomatoes will continue to ripen and sweeten ensuring they are at their best when you are ready to use them.
Favourite Salad Pairings With Truss Tomato
A couple of my favourite salad pairings with truss tomato is basil and mozzarella.
By having quality fresh produce, you don’t need much to make them shine. Just like the classic Caprese salad – the simple salad recipe showcases these fresh ingredients so well. And because of this, I decided to create a truss tomato recipe inspired by these classic pairings.
Charred truss tomato to bring out the sweetness combined with creamy stracciatella di bufala and to finish with a fresh and nutty basil and mint pesto. Good quality ingredients mingled into a simple gluten free salad recipe.
What Is Stracciatella Di Bufala?
As the name suggests, stracciatella di bufala is a soft Italian cheese traditionally produced from buffalo milk. A silky texture, stracciatella di bufala is composed of small shreds of stretched mozzarella bathed in cream. The flavours are deliciously creamy and uber buttery.
Stracciatella di bufala is also used to make burrata cheese. Basically when you burst the burrata balloon, milky stracciatella di bufala oozes out.
I love stracciatella di bufala and burrata. They are both up there in my top 5 favourite cheeses. Can be used in many tasty traditional Italian dishes like fresh pasta, risotto, pizza and bruschetta.
But there are some fun ways to include this mouthwatering soft cheese including pairing with truss tomato, charred grapes or caramelised fennel. Apparently, you can even make stracciatella gelato!
If stracciatella di bufala is not available at your local deli or supermarket, you can use burrata or buffalo mozzarella in this gluten free salad. Tear the burrata or buffalo mozzarella apart when serving.
What Type Of Cheese to Use In Salads?
Stracciatella di bufala is a fantastic cheese in salads. Its delicate creamy texture adds another level of interest but also serves as a perfect base for a multitude of salad dressing flavours.
What other types of cheese in salads are good? Balance is the key. If you need to create a savoury bite, try a crumbly feta like our Yellow Watermelon and Feta Salad or salty halloumi in our Pearl Couscous, Halloumi and Pomegranate .
For pungent flavour, give blue cheese a try in our Pear And Rocket Salad With Provoleta Blue Cheese. Finally, parmesan is always a favourite. We love it in our Parmesan Chipotle Corn Salad With Black Beans.
Why I Love Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella
Less is more when you have quality fresh ingredients that harmonise well together. Adding a couple tweaks is generally all it needs. Plus I adore easy to make salads that can be fantastic for lazy lunches or entertaining the masses.
The striking red hues of truss tomato against the milky white stracciatella di bufala with fresh green basil mint pesto dotted throughout creates a stunning dish in the middle of the table. Plus the flavours…well, they truly speak for themselves when you try!
How to Make Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella
How to Make Basil and Mint Pesto
To be honest, as much as I enjoy pesto, I’ve never made my own. Not sure why but I really should have done it earlier! It’s so simple, and you can create your own version tailored to your tastes.
There are 5 key ingredients in a classic pesto – basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil, but the ratios can be tweaked, and of course, you can add your own twists.
As the basil and mint pesto in this truss tomato salad would act as a salad dressing, I didn’t want it to be too gluggy. I preferred a more silky, thinner consistency. And I felt the extra hit of mint and lemon juice would add another layer of freshness.
Of course, alter the ratios as you please – for more garlicky flavour add more garlic, don’t like the zing, omit the lemon juice etc. And for a nut free version, swap the pine nuts for sunflower seeds.
Remove basil from the stem to yield 1 ½ cups. Repeat with mint to yield ½ cup.
Wash basil and mint leaves. Shake dry. Add basil and mint leaves and pine nuts to a food processor or hand blender. Pulse several times.
Add grated parmesan cheese and garlic to the mixture, scrape down the sides and continue to blend for approximately 1 minute.
While the food processor is running, slowly add the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream. Blend until a smooth mixture. By gradually adding the oil, you create an emulsion with the ingredients and less likely to separate later.
Remove the lid and add lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse a couple more times.
Taste and adjust flavours as required. If you find it a bit gluggy, add a little more extra virgin olive oil.
Remove basil mint pesto from the food processor/hand blender and set aside for assembly.
You can easily make a double batch of basil mint pesto and keep any leftovers for other dishes. Mine stored for another week in the fridge. Great for an easy pasta stir through plus I loved it on my crusty toast and poached eggs.
How to Grill Truss Tomato
Heat a large frypan over medium to high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the large fry pan. When hot, place the truss tomato, season with sea salt and fry for about 3 minutes or until the truss tomatoes start to blister. Remove from heat.
If you can’t find truss tomatoes, you can substitute with cherry tomatoes.
Remove basil leaves from the stem to yield ½ cup for the salad. Give it a good wash. Set aside for assembly.
How to Assemble Truss Tomato Salad
Using a large serving plate, scoop out the creamy stracciatella di bufala and layer on the bottom of the plate. Place charred truss tomatoes on one side of the dish. Scatter basil leaves on top of charred truss tomato and stracciatella di bufala.
When ready to serve, drizzle basil and mint pesto over charred truss tomato and stracciatella di bufala. Have extra basil and mint pesto on the side for guests to spread over their toasted bread.
A final drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over truss tomato salad.
Serve with warm toasted sourdough or your favourite loaf.
Good food doesn’t have to be stressful. This Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella di Bufala and Basil Mint Pesto is a perfect example of this. Try it yourself and let us know.
That’s all!
More Spring Salad Recipes:
- Yellow Nectarine Salad with Grilled Halloumi
- Grilled Courgette and Broad Bean Salad
- Red Papaya Salad with Chilli Charred Corn
- Five Spice Tofu Salad with Vietnamese Ham
- Gin and Lime Prawn Salad with Avocado
Easy Salad Dressing Recipes:
DON’T WANT TO MISS RECIPES? Click HERE to get them sent to your inbox.
Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup basil
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 300 g truss tomato
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 g stracciatella
Salad Dressing
- 1 ½ cup basil
- ½ cup mint
- â…“ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 garlic clove
- ½ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Remove basil leaves from the stem to yield ½ cup for the salad. Give it a good wash. Set aside for assembly.
- Heat a large frypan over medium to high heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the large fry pan.
- When hot, place the truss tomato, season with sea salt and fry for about 3 minutes or until the truss tomatoes start to blister. Remove from heat.
Salad Dressing
- Remove basil from the stem to yield 1 ½ cups. Repeat with mint to yield ½ cup.
- Wash basil and mint leaves. Shake dry.
- Add basil and mint leaves and pine nuts to a food processor or hand blender. Pulse several times.
- Add grated parmesan cheese and garlic to the mixture, scrape down the sides and continue to blend for approximately 1 minute.
- While the food processor is running, slowly add the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream. Blend until a smooth mixture. By gradually adding the oil, you create an emulsion with the ingredients and less likely to separate later.
- Remove the lid and add lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse a couple more times.
- Taste and adjust flavours as required. If you find it a bit gluggy, add a little more extra virgin olive oil.
- Remove basil mint pesto from the food processor/hand blender and set aside for assembly.
Assembly
- Using a large serving plate, scoop out the creamy stracciatella di bufala and layer on the bottom of the plate.
- Place charred truss tomatoes on one side of the dish.
- Scatter basil leaves on top of charred truss tomato and stracciatella di bufala.
- When ready to serve, drizzle basil and mint pesto over charred truss tomato and stracciatella di bufala.
- A final drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over truss tomato salad.
- Serve with warm toasted sourdough or your favourite loaf.
Equipment
Notes
- If stracciatella di bufala is not available, you can replace it with burrata or buffalo mozzarella. Tear the burrata or buffalo mozzarella apart when serving.
- Cherry tomatoes work as well if truss tomatoes are not available.
- Adjust basil and mint pesto ratios as required according to your taste. For more garlicky flavour add more garlic. Reduce lemon juice if you prefer less acidity. Add extra olive oil if the mixture is too gluggy.
- If you prefer a nut free version, swap the pine nuts for sunflower seeds.
- Have extra basil and mint pesto on the side for guests spread over toasted bread.
10 comments
Wow that looks amazing! I hope I can find that cheese – I really want to try it!
We hope you can too! It’s the perfect way to eat the truss tomatoes:)
My kind of salad. Simple but so delicious! I need to try this recipe!
Hope you’ll enjoy it Magali!
I adore fresh pesto but never thought of using mint in it. This is definitely a recipe I want to try especially when fresh tomato on the vine is involved. So refreshingly good!
Just a little touch of something different to amp up an otherwise classic recipe. Mint and tomatoes go so well!
I’ve never tried stracciatella di bufala but it looks absolutely delicious, especially in this salad! It all just looks so fresh!
Thanks Taleen! It’s so light and creamy. Really delicious.
A cheese I have not tried before, I will be sourcing this Stracciatella and trying this out as it looks fabulous! Love tomatoes charred like this! And homemade pesto is fab too
Thanks Kay. Recipe has a little bit of everything! Charring tomatoes make them so much sweeter don’t you think?