The simplest dish to savor the end of summer: tomatoes & burrata with crispy shallot vinaigrette. Beautiful heirloom tomatoes, creamy burrata cheese, crispy shallots & garlic, a really flavorful vinaigrette, and lots of fresh herbs. Serve it with toasted bread alongside for the most show-stopping appetizer or side dish. It’s a unique take on a simple tomato salad that you can serve with just about any summer meal!
tomatoes & burrata with crispy shallot vinaigrette – the details
You’ll want to start with really beautiful, sweet & juicy heirloom tomatoes. If you can find them at your local farmer’s market, even better!
The vinaigrette is really the star of the dish and makes the tomatoes irresistibly delicious. First, you’ll crisp up some very thinly sliced garlic and shallots in olive oil. Not only do they turn into crispy little garnishes that are addictingly good over the tomatoes, the olive oil also becomes infused with all of that good flavor.
That oil, plus lots of red wine vinegar, is all you need to create a richly flavored vinaigrette…perfect for soaking the tomatoes in and then spooning over the finished dish.
The final touches? Creamy burrata cheese, which is simply the perfect counterpart for the acidic tomatoes. And lots of fragrant herbs – a handful of both fresh basil and oregano.
Make sure to season well with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to bring out all of the beautiful, simple flavors. And of course, serve some toasted fresh bread alongside to mound everything on top of.
Pretty much all around the perfect summer dish!
If you’re looking for more tomato recipes, here are a few favorites:
Marinated Tomato Toast with Creme Fraiche & Herbs
Tomato Confit Spaghetti
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Grilled Bread
Tomatoes & Burrata with Crispy Shallot Vinaigrette
heirloom tomatoes & creamy burrata cheese with a crispy shallot vinaigrette, toasted garlic, and fresh herbs
servings: 8-10 appetizer portions
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano
- 2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, cored + sliced ¼” thick
- 2 (8 oz) balls of burrata cheese, torn
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a 10” skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the sliced garlic. Toast until golden and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a plate lined with paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the sliced shallots.
- Turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool slightly. Pour the oil into a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar and oregano. Whisk to combine. Submerge the tomatoes in the vinaigrette and let sit for about 30 minutes.
- Arrange the tomatoes and burrata cheese onto a large platter. Season well with flaky sea salt (the salt is key to bringing out all of the flavors) and freshly cracked black pepper. Top with the fresh basil, crispy garlic & shallots, and spoonfuls of the vinaigrette.
- Serve with the toasted bread alongside.
Made this with heirloom tomatoes from the farmers’ market and homegrown basil. Followed the recipe to the letter except I used French Sel Gris instead of flaky sea salt because I had it on hand. A great twist on a classic Caprese salad. The only tweak I would make next time would be to use less olive oil and more vinegar, but that is just because of personal preference. Highly recommend trying this recipe while tomatoes are still in season.