When you have a few perfect summer heirloom tomatoes to enjoy, a tomato and burrata salad will never let you down, even in its most basic form. Today, however, we are going for some extra special touches in the form of a silky pistachio vinaigrette dressing and some crispy sourdough croutons. And despite these epic upgrades, it’s still ready in 20 minutes!
This recipe is a kind of hybrid between a burrata caprese and a panzanella, thanks to the addition of the homemade croutons. They were a game changer when I was testing this recipe. Juicy tomatoes + creamy burrata + thick and silky dressing? It got a little sloppy on the plate until the croutons joined the party and were able to soak up some of that juice and cream, and add a little contrasting crunch.
The recipe will give you leftover pistachio vinaigrette which is lucky because this stuff is crazy good! Silky, smooth, tangy and nutty, with a thick texture that makes it work as a salad dressing, a sauce for roasted veggies or a bowl meal (try it with Roasted Roots and Halloumi or Summer Sweet Potatoes!).
What to know about the ingredients and substitutions
- This will work with any tomatoes at all, they don’t need to be heirlooms and they don’t need to be large. Just work with what you’ve got.
- Swap in buffalo mozzarella or any fresh mozzarella if you need to.
- I like to use sourdough bread for the croutons, because they have such a great flavor on their own, but feel free to use ciabatta, baguette or plain white loaf – whatever you have.
- You want raw, unsalted pistachios for the dressing. We will toast them and add some salt, but nowhere near as much as the roasted and salted kind you buy at the grocery store.
Need more tomato ideas? If you are lucky enough to have an abundance of summer or heirloom tomatoes right now, I have a lot of recipes in my tomato archives including this 15 Minute Halloumi Tomato Salad, Butter Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Creamy Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo.
Perfect Pairings
If you’re planning to serve this salad as part of a larger spread, or just need one more little thing to pair it with for dinner, I have some ideas for you!
- Simple veggie options: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Halves or Air Fryer Oyster Mushroom Steaks.
- Bready options: Hot Honey Mushroom Grilled Cheese or Chickpea Avocado Caesar Wraps.
- Fun options: Manchego Truffle Fries or Smashed Hot Honey Sage Potatoes.
- More salads: Green Olive Grain Salad or Warm Mushroom, Avocado & Arugula Salad.
- For a soup + salad combo: Creamy Veggie, Bean & Potato Soup or Slow Cooker Mushroom Soup.
Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad with Pistachio Dressing
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium-large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups torn or chopped pieces of stale bread , sourdough and ciabatta work well
- 1 ball burrata cheese
- olive oil, for frying
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh basil leaves
Pistachio Dressing
- 4 tbsp pistachios
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ clove garlic
- 1.5 tsp honey
- 15 basil leaves
Instructions
- First, toast the pistachios for the dressing. Heat a cast iron or stainless steel pan (no oil – keep the pan dry) over a low-medium heat and add the pistachios to the pan. Toast until they are fragrant and starting to brown – you will want to mix them up a couple of times during this process. You can add some extra pistachios if you'd like to use any as a salad garnish – just remove them, chop them and set them aside until the end.4 tbsp pistachios
- Blend the dressing. Add the pistachios + all of the other dressing ingredients to a mini food processor (or into a jug and use a hand blender). Blend until smooth. You may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help it blend and give it a more runny, pourable texture.2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 clove garlic, 1.5 tsp honey, 15 basil leaves, 4 tbsp olive oil
- Fry the croutons. In a large frying pan, heat a shallow layer of olive oil over a low-medium heat. Add the pieces of bread to the pan and allow them to slowly fry, until they are golden and crisp. It will take 3-5 minutes depending on your heat and you will want to toss them a few times during this process. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, especially if you are using a less flavorful bread. Don't worry if you can't get every crouton evenly toasted on each side – it will be fine.2 cups torn or chopped pieces of stale bread, olive oil
- Assemble the salad. Layer the tomatoes, onion slices and large basil leaves on the plate. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Halve or quarter the burrata and place on top. Scatter croutons around the burrata and drizzle the dressing over the salad.Serve, with a pot of dressing nearby in case anyone wants to top up their portion.3-4 medium-large heirloom tomatoes, 1/4 small red onion, fresh basil leaves, 1 ball burrata cheese
