Perfect Burrata Salad

This arugula and tomato burrata salad comes together in 5 minutes and is the perfect appetizer for any Italian-inspired meal.

Burrata is the most sensational treat: a pouch of mozzarella filled with cream and fresh cheese. Cheese filled with creamy cheese? It’s just as epic as it sounds. When we traveled to the Amalfi Coast a few years ago, Alex and I stayed in a little B&B in a town called Montepertuso, midway up the cliffs above the picture-perfect town of Positano. On our last night we went to a small, family-owned white table cloth restaurant. The food was pretty good, but we remember only one thing: the burrata. Here’s a burrata salad just like the one we ordered!

More with burrata? Try this Easy Burrata Platter.

What you need to make burrata salad

This burrata salad with tomatoes and arugula is all about the simplicity of fresh, incredible ingredients. After cutting into to the cheese, the cream floods the plate as a sort of dressing for the tomatoes and peppery arugula beneath it. This arugula and tomato burrata salad would go well as an appetizer with our other Italian-inspired recipes, or any summer meal. Here’s how to make it:

• Burrata cheese: You can find burrata cheese more easily these days in grocery stores in the US. Alex and I can even find it locally made at our farmers market. Depending on where you buy it, it may be a bit of a splurge price-wise. But it’s worth it as a special treat, we promise!
• Arugula: You can use either standard or baby arugula here. We prefer baby arugula for its feathery texture and milder flavor.
• Ripe tomatoes: Don’t even think about using out of season tomatoes here! They need to be perfectly ripe and juicy for this salad to taste incredible.
• Olive oil and vinegar: All you’ll do is sprinkle a little olive oil and white wine vinegar over the salad, and it’s complete! It’s so easy, it’s barely even a recipe (more of a concept).

Serving this burrata salad

Because the burrata cheese is creamy inside, it makes serving a little more challenging! Here’s what we recommend for serving:

• Serve on a large plate as an appetizer for 4. We served this burrata salad as an appetizer for 4 people. It was served on a large plate and everyone cut off pieces of burrata and ate them with the tomatoes and arugula.
• Or, serve as a heartier appetizer or side salad for 2. This portion was served as an appetizer in Italy that we shared between the two of us.

If you’re itching to make this arugula and tomato burrata salad for a crowd, you could substitute the burrata with small mozzarella balls. The taste won’t be the same (the burrata really makes this dish!), but it’s a good compromise flavor-wise.

Related: Homemade Italian Dressing | The Best Tossed Salad

Looking for more easy Italian recipes? 

Outside of this burrata salad, here are a few more of our Italian inspired recipes:

• Want more burrata recipes? Try Burrata Pasta, Burrata Pizza, Burrata Salad, or Peach & Burrata Caprese.
• Pizza Margherita Our best pizza recipe! Based on visits to Italy and years of research, it features tangy pizza sauce & a perfect chewy pizza crust.
• Lemon Gelato Made with just 3 simple ingredients and less than 15 minutes of hands-on prep work.
• Pasta Puttanesca A super classic Italian pasta featuring garlic, capers and olives to give it a tangy burst of flavor.
• Italian Calzones Prepare to be amazed! These pizza pockets feature homemade pizza dough and a veggie and two-cheese filling.

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Burrata Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce

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Classic Burrata Pizza

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Top 10 Burrata Recipes

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Burrata Caprese Salad

This burrata salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Last updated: February 2020