Burrata Caprese

When it comes to capturing the essence of Italian cuisine, few dishes do it as elegantly
as the Burrata Caprese salad. The dish combines fresh tomatoes, creamy burrata cheese,
and fresh basil, and all is brought to perfection with some olive oil and salt

The name “Caprese” originates from the island of Capri in the Gulf of Naples, Italy. Legend has it that the dish was first created in the 1950s for the American actress Grace Kelly, who was visiting the island at the time.

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The salad has simple ingredients, comes together quick, and is a great blend of fresh, juicy, and creamy. The colors are also very pretty and festive and mirror the colors of the Italian flag.

What is Burrata Cheese?

Burrata cheese is a cheese similar to mozzarella cheese, but unlike traditional mozzarella, which is solid throughout, Burrata has a creamy interior that oozes out when cut into. Its origins can be traced back to the Puglia region of Italy, where it was first crafted as a way to utilize the leftover curd from producin mozzarella.

The outer shell of Burrata is made from fresh mozzarella curds, while the inside is filled with a mixture of cream and shredded mozzarella, giving it its distinctive creamy texture.

Here, in Germany, the cheese is fairly a new thing. I read about the cheese online when looking at recipes, but wasn’t able to get it around here (strange, since Italy is so near to us). I finally, saw it at a grocery store and got myself a container right away.

Since the end of last year sometime, Aldi started carrying Burrata cheese as a regular product. So I am so happy about that cause I can now have it any time.

Ingredients for Burrata Caprese

Burrata Cheese –  The Burrata Cheese is the star of this dish. As a substitute you can use Mozzarella, but then technically you would be making the traditional Caprese salad since Burrata Caprese is a variation of that.

Tomatoes – homegrown or garden tomatoes are best. Summer, of course, is better because the tomatoes are in season, but the salad can be made any time of the year. I also add some small cherry tomatoes, just to make the salad look prettier. Different colored tomatoes would spruce it up even more.

Olive Oil – Good quality extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on the cheese and tomatoes.

Basil – fresh basil is best or really the only one that should be used here. You might be able to get away with dried basil if you are not too picky, but you’d lose the colorful presentation.

Salt – I used herbed salt, which gives the dish a few more flavors. Normal table salt or sea salt would work great here as well.

Optional – Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic Glaze. Traditional Caprese salad is made without Balsamic vinegar, but if you’d like to add a little extra flavor, these would work good.

How to make Burrata Caprese

To assemble your own Burrata Caprese, slice ripe, juicy tomatoes and arrange them on a plate. If using cherry tomatoes (these are optional), slice those in half and arrange around the larger tomatoes.

The different sized tomatoes, make the dish look prettier. Use other colors to make it even prettier.

Carefully place the ball of Burrata cheese in the center of the plate. The Burrata can be left whole and sliced right before serving. Or it can be sliced in half an arranged on the tomatoes.

Scatter fresh basil leaves over the tomatoes. The leaves can be scattered whole or teared/cut and scattered all around, as preferred.

Finally, drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the dish and sprinkle with salt to taste. Don’t overdo on the salt, as it’s easy to do in this dish (been there, done that). Serve.

Whether enjoyed as a light appetizer, a refreshing salad, or a satisfying main course, this Burrata Caprese is a great dish to enjoy any time of the year.

Recipe Tips

• Use the freshest, quality ingredients you can get. Since the salad has only 3 main ingredients and no real dressing, they all need to taste good!
• Prepare the salad right before serving (It only takes about 10 minutes!)
• If you have leftovers, store up to 1 day in the refrigerator. Once the tomatoes give their juice, the salad quickly becomes soggy.

What to serve with Burrata Caprese

Here are some serving and pairing suggestions for Burrata Caprese:

• Baguette – Slice it and toast it or just leave it as is. Serve along with the gooey cheese and fresh tomatoes.
• Pasta – make this a full blown Italian dinner by serving the Burrata Caprese with some delicious pasta like my Penne Pasta with a Creamy Sauce, Trofie Pasta with Pesto, or Gemelli Pasta with Spinach.
• Grilled Meat – my Grilled Chicken Thighs with best Marinade or any other grilled meat like steak, would be so so good with Burrata Caprese. Plus, you won’t need any additional side dishes when grilling, because the meat is very filling on its own.

More Salads and Appetizers You’ll Love

Lastly, if you make this Burrata Caprese, please take a moment to comment below and leave a rating. It’s such a help for others who might want to try the recipe.

And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!