This Caprese salad with burrata and arugula puts Italy on a plate by combining delicious Italian ingredients. The ripe and juicy tomatoes give this dish its sweetness, the peppery arugula its tanginess, while the fresh basil leaves provide colour and aroma and the soft burrata cheese a creamy and buttery texture. Finished off with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and this burrata recipe provides an interesting twist to the classic Insalata Caprese.
It is great to serve as an appetizer, as a summer salad, as a light meal or as a side dish when having a barbecue.
What is burrata cheese?
Burrata is a semi-soft Italian cheese in the shape of a ball originating from the Puglia region, located in the heel of Italy. The outer shell consists of a thin mozzarella cheese skin which is formed into a pouch that holds a mixture of cream and soft cheese curds (also known as stracciatella). Burrata looks like a mozzarella cheese ball but when it’s cut open a soft, creamy and delicious filling is revealed.
How to make burrata caprese salad
Note: All the exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
A Caprese salad, Insalata Caprese or just Caprese is a traditional Italian dish consisting of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil. This recipe is a small twist to a classic recipe by using burrata instead of mozzarella and adding arugula lettuce for some extra punch, however still staying true to the colours of the Italian flag; red, white and green.
- Burrata cheese: Burrata cheese can be found in the larger grocery stores, farmers markets or Italian specialty stores. Use good old mozzarella cheese if you cannot find burrata. Although the soft and creamy goodness inside the burrata cheese is what makes this Caprese salad recipe so rich and scrumptious.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe and juicy tomatoes. I have used vine tomatoes for this recipe, but any ripe tomato will do. You can even combine different varieties of tomatoes into this salad. Make a lovely mix with different shapes, colours and sizes. Vary in ways of cutting the tomatoes, from slices, to wedges to diced and it will give your burrata salad a lovely and colourful appearance.
- Arugula: Rocket, rucola or arugula leaves add a nutty and peppery twist to the soft flavours of the Caprese salad.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves is what gives a Caprese salad its unique flavour. Use dried basil if you really cannot find nice green fresh basil.
- Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil to provide the best taste to this burrata recipe. Cheaper olive oils tend to taste quite bitter, while the extra virgin quality tends to be more subtle and mild. Richly drizzle the olive oil over all the ingredients.
- Balsamic vinegar: Optionally drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar over the salad. It is not really necessary but I like a bit of balsamic taste when eating a Caprese salad, especially to balance with the flavour of the peppery arugula. You can also use this homemade balsamic glaze , which is a reduced balsamic vinegar with the consistency of a syrup and has a more intense flavour.
- Salt and pepper: Use either ‘fleur de sel‘ or sea salt flakes. They give a little salty crunch to this dish and is not as powerful and normal fine salt. Give a good turn to the pepper grinder and preferably use black pepper.
How to serve burrata caprese
Caprese salad with burrata can be served either as an appetizer or as a light meal.
Burrata caprese as an appetizer
The ingredients and quantities on the recipe card below are for serving this salad as an appetizer for two people. Either serve on one plate to share or divide the ingredients over two smaller plates, one per person.
Some examples of dishes you can serve this as an appetizer:
- Chicken with flat beans and bell pepper
- Ham and asparagus quiche
- Creamy smoked trout pasta
- Grilled lemon and herb chicken skewers
- Dogfish stew with fennel, red pepper and tomatoes
Salad with burrata cheese as a light meal
Use the quantity as indicated in the recipe card below per person when serving this salad as a light meal. Either serve with all ingredients on a large plate to share or each person its own plate. Serve with some focaccia bread, farmers bread or crispy baguette. Add more lettuce leaves or a variation of different lettuce to make this a filling lunch recipe.
Buon appetito!
Caprese salad with burrata cheese
Ingredients
- 2 vine tomatoes sliced or cut into wedges
- 4.4 ounces (or 125grams) fresh burrata cheese ball
- 3 cups (60 grams) arugula
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
- fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a plate. Carefully place the burrata ball alongside the tomatoes.
- Arrange the arugula leaves on the plate. Top the tomatoes with the fresh basil leave.
- Drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze over the tomatoes, burrata cheese and the arugula.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Use the amount in this card when serving the burrata caprese as an appetizer for 2 people. Serve either all ingredients on one plate to share or divide the ingredients over two plate, one per person.
- Double the amount when serving this dish as a light meal or summer salad for 2 people.
- Balsamic glaze: use either a store bought or homemade balsamic glaze to elevate the taste.
Nutrition
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Love burrata! It’s such a creamy delicious cheese!