This Burrata Caprese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is our favorite summer salad, bursting with juicy fresh tomatoes, creamy burrata and a delicious herby dressing. This is a perfect salad for a dinner party, a backyard lunch, or an appetizer.
This salad is best made in the peak of summer as it relies on ripe tomatoes, particularly cherry tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes, if you grow them or can find them easily. The tangy and juicy tomatoes are perfect paired with rich and creamy burrata cheese. Plus, drizzling on a homemade basil vinaigrette adds tons of basil flavor with a bit of citrus tang. And a final pinch of flaky salt will keep you coming back for more after each bite.
You can find more ideas on how to use our homemade Basil Vinaigrette, including storage and variations.
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Ingredients that Matter
Here is a roundup of the ingredients for this recipe and why they are important:
- Tomatoes. We recommend using ripe heirloom beefsteak tomatoes. Pick a range of colors and sizes. And if you can't find heirloom tomatoes, simply use whatever is fresh and ripe, including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or slicing tomatoes.
- Burrata. This creamy soft Italian cheese is simply made with fresh mozzarella in a ball with curds and cream in the center. The result is a decadent, creamy interior when sliced. Be sure to slice straight through the middle to ensure each bite of cheese has some of the creamy middle. It's a bit of a splurge and also will only last in the refrigerator (in its brine) for up to 2 days.
- Basil Vinaigrette. We make our basil vinaigrette by blending together fresh basil leaves, garlic, lemon, mustard, salt and oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. This sauce can be stored in a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Flaky Salt (not pictured). A big pinch of flaky salt, like Maldon or Fleur de Sel, adds a sweet and salty crunchy topping. Use it if you have it, or can find it, otherwise we suggest a pinch of Kosher salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make This Burrata Caprese Recipe
This summery salad comes together quite easily. You can make basil vinaigrette ahead of time, but we suggest assembling the salad just before serving.
Place basil leaves, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and mustard in the base of a food processor of blender and pulse until the basil is finely chopped.
While the blender or food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the oil and blend on high until smooth. It's ready to use or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Slice tomatoes into ¼ to ½-inch thick slices. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate until ready to use, up to 30 minutes.
Slice burrata into bite size pieces, being sure some of the creamy middle is in each slice.
Adam's Pro Tip
Be sure to drizzle some of the dressing on the platter then add the tomatoes, more sauce, burrata, a bit more sauce and garnish with basil leaves and flaky salt. This ensures all sides of the tomatoes are dressed well. And assemble this salad just before serving, if possible, or you could lose some of the juices from the ripe tomatoes.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is gluten-free and the only way to make it vegan or dairy-free is to omit the burrata or to use a plant-based cheese. You can make some simple additions to this salad depending on your preferences:
- Balsamic Vinegar - If you want a faster and easier salad, you can substitute the homemade basil vinaigrette for simple drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze. Or, try using our simple Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette, White Balsamic Vinaigrette or Maple Dijon Dressing instead.
- Burrata - For a more classic caprese salad recipe, swap out the fresh burrata cheese for mozzarella cheese. Or mix and match and use a ball of burrata and fresh mozzarella cheese together.
- Crusty Bread or Naan - Add some torn pieces of crusty bread or naan to the salad to sop up the delicious sauce and any tomatoes juices that are left behind.
- Spicy - Add some heat to the salad with a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the basil vinaigrette, or add thinly sliced hot peppers to the salad (just be sure your guests know this is a spicy caprese salad!).
- Protein - Add some simple protein with drained and rinsed white beans. This will make the salad feel more like a main dish. Or try adding some cooked chicken.
Varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes
While you could simply use garden-fresh Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes, it's worth trying a unique variety of heirloom. There are lots to choose from. Here are some of my favorites:
- Cherokee Purple - These large tomatoes have a deep purple color and are incredibly juicy.
- Black Krim - These are a personal favorite, with deep red, almost black color and a sweet flavor.
- Green Zebra - As the name suggests, these tomatoes are ripe when they are green and have unique greenish yellow streaks like a zebra.
- Brandywine - Another large variety, this is considered one of the best tasting tomatoes when eaten raw. It has lovely pinkish color.
- Black Cherry - This variety is prolific with small, cherry-size dark red, almost black colored fruit.
- Hillbilly - A yellow and red tomato with low acid. These tomatoes are quite large and delicious.
There are plenty of other varieties to try. What's your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
More Burrata Ideas
Love burrata as much as I do? Try it with an appetizer like my Burrata Bruschetta. Or try pairing it with fresh summer peaches in my Arugula Burrata Salad. It also goes incredibly well with pastas, like Lemon Caper Pasta, Spaghetti Arrabiata, or even a cold Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad.
Storage
The sauce may be made up to 4-5 days in advance but we do not recommend assembling the salad ahead of time as the tomatoes will loose their flavors quickly in the refrigerator. Plus the burrata and tomatoes will get too watery if assembled a day ahead then stored in the refrigerator.
We have had luck making this salad for lunch then covering leftovers on the platter loosely with plastic and refrigerating. It'll be fine for dinner, but won't taste quite as special.
FAQ
Pick the ripest, freshest tomatoes possible. If you have access to heirloom tomatoes, use them! Heirloom tomatoes have a delicious flavor, low acidity and are generally incredibly juicy.
Burrata is an Italian cheese. It's fresh mozzarella in a ball with a mixture of cream and curds in the middle. Cut in half and the creamy insides will be exposed.
Store basil vinaigrette in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
More Salads
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Dinner Ideas
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Recipe
Burrata Caprese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 10 min.
- Yield: About 8 cups 1x
Description
This Burrata Caprese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is our favorite summer salad, bursting with juicy fresh tomatoes, creamy burrata and a delicious herby dressing. This is a perfect salad for a dinner party, a backyard lunch, or an appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves (about 1 ½ oz.), plus small leaves for garnish
- 1 small clove garlic
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- ½ up extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 lb. heirloom tomatoes, cut into ¼-/1/2-inch thick slices
- 8 oz. burrata, cut into bite size pieces
- flaky salt (such as fleur de sel), for serving
Instructions
- To make the dressing, add the basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, mustard and salt in the base of a blender or food processor and pulse until the basil is finely chopped. While the blender or processor is running, slowly drizzle in the oil and process until smooth. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- To assemble the salad, drizzle a platter with about 2-3 tablespoons of the basil vinaigrette then layer on the sliced tomatoes and drizzle with more dressing. Top with cheese and garnish with basil leave and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle again with more dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find.
- Pick a variety of colors and sizes for a more interesting salad.
- This salad doesn't hold well, but it will stay fresh covered loosely in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
- Serve with crusty bread or naan.
- You can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to add some heat.
- Or serve with drained and rinsed white beans for a complete dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 0 min.
- Category: Salads
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
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