This quick and easy Arugula Burrata Salad is a delicious summer treat, topped with juicy peaches, creamy burrata, and crunchy toasted almonds. Toss peppery arugula in a simple honey-balsamic vinaigrette, and you have a perfect vegetarian lunch or side dish.
I am a bit obsessed with salads and when I say this arugula and burrata salad is as delicious as it is simple, I'm not kidding! You can put it together in about 5 minutes, plus it's easy to customize based on the ingredients you have on hand.
Instead of going with classic Italian-style flavors, like tomatoes and prosciutto, I wanted to highlight the bounty of the season. That means fresh ripe peaches, which pair perfectly with the peppery flavor of arugula. Skeptical about pairing fruit with arugula? Try our Arugula and Pear Salad with Spiced Pecans or Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad and you'll see the combo is divine.
Jump to:
Ingredients That Matter
A handful of fresh and pantry staples go into this arugula burrata salad recipe, including:
- Arugula. Use a 5-ounce package of fresh arugula. You can find this crisp green all year long, but look for it locally in spring or summer.
- Burrata. This fresh Italian cheese is made with mozzarella in a ball with curds and cream in the center. It has a decadent, creamy interior. Slice straight through the middle to ensure each bite of cheese has some of the creamy middle. And slice just before serving. Once opened, burrata only lasts in the refrigerator (in its whey) for up to 2 days.
- Peaches. Look for ripe, freestone peaches for easy slicing. The peaches should smell sweet and feel heavy for their size. Leave them on the counter to ripen if they are firm. Like the cheese, slice just before serving, if possible.
- Almonds. Crunchy almonds are a delicious treat in this salad, but you can certainly swap in pistachios, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, or another nut of your choice.
- Basil. The final garnish is torn fresh basil leaves for a tasty summer flavor. Swap in fresh mint leaves, if preferred.
- Balsamic Vinegar. A small splash of balsamic vinegar gives a nice tang to the dressing.
- Honey. Add a bit of sweetness to the dressing with a drizzle of honey. You can also use maple syrup.
- Mustard. Use country, whole grain, or Dijon mustard to emulsify the dressing.
- Olive Oil. To finish the balsamic dressing, drizzle in olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Arugula Burrata Salad
This salad comes together super fast. Follow these simple steps for delicious results.
- Start by making the dressing. Whisk together in a medium or large mixing bowl the mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar until smooth.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk. This will emulsify the balsamic vinaigrette.
- Cut the peach in half and remove the pit. Slice into ¼-inch slices. You can use two small or medium peaches, or one large.
- When ready to serve, slice burrata in half. Try to slice straight through the center so each piece has some of the creamy interior.
- Add the arugula to the bowl with dressing and toss well, with tongs or your hands, to combine.
- Finally, top the salad with peaches, almonds, and burrata slices. Finish with a drizzle more honey, olive oil, and sprinkle with black pepper.
Adam's Pro Tip
This salad tastes best just after it's tossed with the dressing. The longer the arugula sits in the vinaigrette, the soggier the greens will get. That's why it's important to assemble this salad just before you are ready to serve it.
Substitutions
There are plenty of substitutions you can make to this recipe based on your dietary restrictions or flavor preferences. Consider these tweaks:
- Arugula - Don't like arugula? Well, you can still make this salad. Swap in baby spinach, baby kale, or tender mixed greens. Or, try using half arugula and half mild greens instead.
- Nuts - You can leave out the nuts of you have an allergy and swap in some cooked farro, crispy quinoa, or croutons, if desired. You can swap out the almonds for the pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or your favorite nut.
- Fruit - Instead of peaches you can use similar stone fruit like nectarines or apricots. If you don't like peaches, or have an allergy to stone fruit, you can also use strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries. Or, use sliced cherry tomatoes for a more classic take on this salad.
- Balsamic Vinegar - Not everyone loves balsamic vinaigrette. If that's the case for you, try using red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions
This salad makes for an ideal quick summer lunch, or a side for dinner. To make it more substantial try adding some protein like pulled chicken, white beans, or even chilled seared shrimp.
Consider serving this salad alongside one of these delicious summer fresh dinner recipes:
What You Need to Know About Burrata
Burrata is an Italian semi-soft cheese. It's essentially a ball of fresh mozzarella with a creamy center made with soft curds and cream. When sliced open, the decadent custardy center oozes out and the result is an ultra creamy cheese.
The outside tastes just like regular fresh mozzarella cheese, but the inside has a uniquely mellow, yet rich dairy flavor.
Burrata is often sold in 2- or 4-ounce balls, which are carefully packed in whey, which is a byproduct liquid of the cheese making process. You should keep unused burrata in the whey liquid or it will dry out. Also, fresh burrata will last about 1-2 days once the package is opened.
Storage
Store leftover salad in an airtight container for 1-2 days. It doesn't make great leftovers, to be honest, because once the salad is dressed the greens will start to wilt.
How to Make Burrata Arugula Salad Ahead
While this salad doesn't make great leftovers, you can actually make most of it ahead of time. Simply whisk together the dressing and store in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator. Wash the arugula and store in the fridge covered with a damp towel to keep the greens crisp. You can also toast and chop the almonds ahead, but I don't recommend slicing the peaches or burrata until ready to serve.
FAQ
Burrata is a ball of fresh mozzarella with a creamy interior made with soft curds and fresh cream. It has a very mellow, cream and butter flavor and the texture is soft.
No, burrata should be served cold when used to top a salad. Simply slice it through the middle to expose the creamy interior.
Burrata doesn't really have skin; instead, the creamy soft curd interior is surrounded by a ball of fresh mozzarella. Sometimes the exterior may dry out a bit and it may seem like there is a skin. If that's the case, you can still eat the entire ball.
More Salad Recipes
Looking for other salad recipes like this? Try these:
Dinner Ideas
Need some inspiration for dinner tonight? Try these:
Recipe
Arugula Burrata Salad
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Description
This quick and easy Arugula Burrata Salad is a delicious summer treat, topped with juicy peaches, creamy burrata, and crunchy toasted almonds. Toss peppery arugula in a simple honey-balsamic vinaigrette, and you have a perfect vegetarian lunch or side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (or whole grain)
- 1 tsp. honey, plus more for serving
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup olive oil (or extra-virgin olive oil), plus more for serving
- 5 oz. fresh arugula
- 1-2 medium fresh peaches, pit removed and sliced
- 4 (2-oz.) balls of burrata, sliced in half
- ⅓ cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- To make the dressing, whisk together in a medium or large mixing bowl the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk until emulsified and smooth.
- Add the arugula to the bowl and toss with tongs or your hands until well coated. Top with peach slices, burrata, almonds, and basil. Drizzle with more honey and olive oil, and sprinkle with more black pepper, if desired. Divide among 4 plates and served immediately.
Notes
- Make the dressing ahead of time and store in an airtight container like a mason jar for up to 5 days.
- Do not make this salad ahead of time as the greens will wilt when dressed with the honey-balsamic vinaigrette.
- You can swap in maple syrup for the honey, if desired.
- Instead of almonds, you can use almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or your nut of choice.
- If you are allergic to nuts, try using cooked farro, crispy quinoa, white beans, or croutons.
- One the package of burrata is opened, consume within 1-2 days. Store any leftover burrata in the whey liquid is packaged in.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American/Italian
Leave a Reply