Burrata Caprese Salad
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A burrata caprese salad is what happens when the simplest salad in Italy decides to get a little greedy. Swap the firm mozzarella for a torn ball of burrata and the whole plate turns soft and creamy — the cream spills into the olive oil, and you chase it around the plate with bread. One thing matters above all else here: this dish is only as good as your tomatoes, so make it in summer, with fruit that actually smells like something.
Why burrata changes everything
Burrata is just fresh mozzarella with a secret — a pouch of soft curd and cream (stracciatella) hiding inside the smooth skin. Cut it and it floods the plate. That richness is the whole reason to make this instead of a regular caprese.
Two small habits do most of the work. First, take the burrata out of the fridge about half an hour before you serve it (cold burrata is mute; room-temperature burrata is loud). Second, salt your tomatoes a few minutes before building the plate — it pulls out their juice, which mixes with the olive oil into the only dressing this dish needs.
Don't even think about going low-fat here. The burrata and the heavy thread of olive oil are the entire point. If you're not dragging a piece of bread through the puddle of cream and oil at the end, you've missed it.
The tomatoes are the dish, so choose well
Pick tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and smell sweet at the stem — a mix of colours and shapes (heirloom if you can get them) looks and tastes best. And keep them on the counter, never the fridge: the cold mutes their flavour and makes the texture mealy. If you want the science on why they're worth eating beyond the taste, Harvard's notes on tomatoes are a good read.
Substitutions and swaps
- No burrata? A good ball of fresh mozzarella, or buffalo mozzarella, still makes a lovely (firmer) caprese.
- Basil only. Don't reach for dried — it'll taste like a sad memory of basil. If you can't get basil, a few small mint leaves are a fresher detour than dried herbs.
- Push it savoury. Drape a couple of good oil-packed anchovies over the top; they melt into the cream and people will ask what your secret is.
- Balsamic is optional. A thread of aged balsamic or a glaze is welcome, but plenty of cooks skip it and let the tomatoes speak.
Make ahead and storage
This is an assemble-at-the-last-minute dish, not a make-ahead one. You can slice the tomatoes, salt them, and have the burrata out and ready — but build the plate just before it hits the table. Leftovers go watery, so make what you'll eat.
What to serve with it
Serve it as a starter before any warm main, or make it part of a shared mezze spread with warm flatbread and a few dips. For more in this style, browse Salads & Sides, have a look through all our recipes, or read how it fits a full plate in our Mediterranean diet dinner guide. Whatever you do, put good bread on the table — and finish everything with a real glug of extra-virgin olive oil.
Burrata Caprese Salad
A burrata caprese salad of ripe tomatoes, torn burrata, basil, and good olive oil — the simplest, most generous Mediterranean starter, ready in 10 minutes.
10 min
0 min
10 min
4
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes (a mix of colours if you can find them), at room temperature
- 2 balls of burrata (about 250g total)
- 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, to drizzle (optional)
Method
- 1.Take the burrata out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Slice the tomatoes into thick wedges or rounds, scatter them on a large platter, and season with a little flaky salt. Let them sit for 5 minutes to draw out their juice.
- 2.Tear the burrata open and lay it among the tomatoes, letting the soft curd and cream spill out across the plate.
- 3.Tuck basil leaves throughout — tear the big ones, leave the small ones whole.
- 4.Drizzle generously with olive oil, then add a good grind of black pepper and a final pinch of flaky salt. Add a thin thread of balsamic if you like.
- 5.Serve straight away, at room temperature, with plenty of bread for the juices.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between burrata and mozzarella?
- Mozzarella is firm and springy all the way through. Burrata is a pouch of mozzarella filled with soft curd and cream, so it's much richer and spills open when you cut into it. Use mozzarella for a firmer salad, burrata when you want it creamy and indulgent.
- Should I keep tomatoes in the fridge?
- No — cold flattens their flavour and turns the flesh mealy. Keep tomatoes on the counter and use them at room temperature. Only refrigerate cut tomatoes you genuinely can't use the same day.
- Can I make burrata caprese salad ahead of time?
- It's best built just before serving, or the tomatoes weep and the burrata loses its fresh texture. You can slice the tomatoes and have everything ready, then assemble the plate at the last minute.
