This is the salad I make when tomatoes are finally good, and I don’t want to do anything to get in their way. Two things make this one different: the dressing ratio and how the burrata goes on. With both of those, you end up with a bite that’s creamy and never sharp.
What I Learned Testing This Tomato Burrata Salad
The dressing went through more rounds than any other part of this recipe. I started with something close to a standard vinaigrette with 2 tablespoons oil to 1 tablespoon balsamic, a teaspoon of Dijon to help it emulsify, and a touch of honey. It was sharp enough to make my mouth pucker. It completely drowned out any other flavors. I dropped the Dijon down to a quarter teaspoon, thinking that would soften it, and it still wasn’t right, so I cut it out completely. My initial instinct was to add more honey to smooth it over, but it didn’t work. It just made the dressing taste like honey instead of tasting balanced. What actually fixed it was oil. I pushed the ratio up to 3 tablespoons of oil to 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
A couple of smaller things mattered more than I expected. Raw garlic, even finely grated, got sharp fast. Anything past a tiny pinch, it started tasting almost like horseradish instead of adding depth, so I cut it back to optional. The specific bottles matter too. An aged balsamic tastes noticeably sweeter than a younger one, which helps offset the bitterness. A neutral olive oil matters just as much. Some of them can be peppery and bitter, making the sharpness even worse.
The burrata was the other fix. Once I started tearing it open by hand, the cream fell into the gaps between the tomato slices and mixed with the dressing pooling underneath. Every bite got some instead of just the ones near the middle.
Why You’ll Love This Burrata and Tomato Salad
- The dressing’s higher oil ratio plus honey keeps it from tasting sharp, even with a bold balsamic.
- Tearing the burrata spreads the cream through the salad instead of leaving it in one spot.
- Heirloom and cherry tomatoes together give you both juice and bite in the same bowl.
- No stove, no cook time. It’s ready in the time it takes to slice tomatoes and whisk a dressing.
Ingredients for Tomato and Burrata Salad
Heirloom tomatoes: The main flavor and juice in the salad. Look for ones that give slightly when you press them. That’s ripeness, not a flaw.
Cherry tomatoes: Adds bite and a little extra sweetness between the heirloom slices, so every forkful isn’t the same soft texture.
Burrata: Let it sit out at room temperature before you tear it. Cold burrata is stiffer and won’t spill the way you want it to.
Fresh basil: Adds the herby taste that keeps the salad from tasting flat next to the tomatoes and cream.
Flaky salt: Finished on top. It gives you little bursts of crunch and salt instead of dissolving in.
Olive oil: The base of the dressing, and the ingredient doing more work here than in a typical vinaigrette. Go for one with a neutral flavor. A peppery or bitter oil actually intensifies the sharpness instead of rounding it out.
Balsamic vinegar: Brings the acid the honey and extra oil are built to balance. Reach for an aged balsamic if you can find one. It’s naturally a touch sweeter, which does some of the balancing work before the honey even gets involved.
Honey: Rounds out the balsamic, but only alongside the higher oil ratio. Added on its own to fix a sharp dressing, it doesn’t work. More oil does.
Garlic (optional): A tiny pinch of grated garlic adds background depth. More than that turns almost horseradish-sharp instead of subtle, so leave it out entirely if you’d rather keep things simple.
How to Make Burrata Cheese and Tomato Salad
Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic (if using), and a pinch of kosher salt until fully emulsified. It should look thick and cohesive, not separated.
Arrange the tomatoes. Slice the heirloom tomatoes and halve the cherry tomatoes, then arrange on a platter or shallow bowl. Don’t stack them too deep. The dressing needs to reach all of them.
Tear the burrata. Tear it open by hand over the top of the tomatoes so the cream falls right where you want it, rather than slicing it into one round piece.
Scatter the basil. Spread the small pieces of basil throughout the salad so you get a little bit in every bite.
Drizzle and finish. Drizzle the dressing over everything, then finish with flaky salt and black pepper.
Kara’s Tips for the Best Burrata Tomato Salad
- Salt the tomatoes a few minutes before dressing them. It draws out a little juice, which mixes with the dressing instead of pooling separately at the bottom of the bowl.
- Bring the burrata to room temperature before serving. Straight from the fridge, it’s firmer and won’t spill open the same way.
- Don’t assemble this one too far ahead. Build it right before serving. Both the tomatoes and burrata both hold up better that way.
- If your tomatoes taste a little tart instead of ripe and sweet (more likely early in the season) bump the dressing to 4 tablespoons oil to 1 tablespoon vinegar instead of the usual 3:1. The dressing will taste noticeably rounder with the extra oil.
What to Serve with Burrata and Tomato Salad
Serve this next to grilled chicken, steak, or anything coming off the grill, with crusty bread on the side to catch the dressing pooling at the bottom of the bowl. It also works as the opener before a pasta dinner, or as the dish you bring to a backyard cookout when everyone else is showing up with chips and dip.
Can You Make This Ahead of Time?
Not the whole salad. Once it’s assembled, the tomatoes release liquid and the burrata starts breaking down within a few hours, so build it right before you serve it.
The dressing is the one part that holds well. Whisk it up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it another whisk before using, since the oil and vinegar will separate as it sits.
Burrata Tomato Salad FAQs
The dressing, yes. You can make the dressing up to 3 days ahead in the fridge. The assembled salad, no. Tomatoes and burrata don’t hold once dressed, so build it right before serving.
A mix of heirloom and cherry tomatoes gives you the best combination of juice and bite. If you can only find one, heirlooms alone are the better default for flavor.
You can, but you’ll lose the creamy center that makes this salad what it is. Fresh mozzarella is milder and firmer. It’s fine in a pinch, but not a swap I would make on purpose.
Room temperature. Cold burrata is stiffer, and the tomatoes taste better when they haven’t been chilled. Straight from the fridge will mute the flavor.
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Burrata and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2-3 large heirloom tomatoes sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 ball burrata
- 1 handful Fresh basil
- Flaky salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch grated garlic or none
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic (if using), and kosher salt until fully emulsified.
- Arrange the sliced heirloom tomatoes and halved cherry tomatoes on a platter.
- Tear the burrata by hand over the top of the tomatoes.
- Scatter torn basil leaves over the salad.
- Drizzle the dressing over everything.
- Finish with flaky salt and black pepper.
Notes
- If your tomatoes taste a little tart instead of ripe and sweet, use 4 tablespoons oil to 1 tablespoon vinegar instead of the 3:1 ratio above.
- Bring the burrata to room temperature before serving — cold burrata is stiffer and won’t tear and spill the way you want.
- Build this right before serving. It doesn’t hold well once assembled — the dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored separately in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
