Strawberry Burrata Panzanella with Basil and Little Gems

Perfectly ripe, sweet n’juicy strawberries, luxuriously creamy burrata and crunchy toasted bread cubes create a deliciously fresh summer salad that comes together in under 30min!

There’s basil, crispy little gems, balsamic vinaigrette and black pepper in there too… yum!

Why this Recipe Works

• We get more of that strawberry flavor! The balsamic, basil and black pepper bring out the sweetness of the strawberries intensifying their flavor.
• Super quick and easy to make! Thanks to minimal ingredients and prep.
• Burrata! This luxuriously creamy cheese adds a touch of buttery richness to the fresh salad.
• New twist on the classic panzanella! Toasting fresh bread in the oven produces a better texture than the traditionally used stale bread.
• The salad celebrates the very best of the summer! Few high-quality fresh ingredients going from simple to sublime when properly balanced.

This simple strawberry burrata panzanella has a delightful contrast of flavors and textures!

The quality of each ingredient is what really makes this summer salad shine!

Summer is all about highlighting seasonally fresh produce at the peak of its ripeness.

Highlight here: strawberries!

What is a Panzanella?

Literally meaning bread salad in Italian, the panzanella originated in Tuscany. Traditionally it’s a popular summer chopped salad of soaked stale bread, onions and tomatoes. Was originally a Tuscan way to use the last scraps of stale bread?

I’m not too traditional and neither is my version of a panzanella! Here stale bread is swapped for hearty fresh toasted bread and the tomatoes are swapped for strawberries. Sounds real good to me and I think you’ll be convinced as soon as ya make it too!

How to Make this Recipe

Cut your bread. Toast it. While it’s in the oven prep your other ingredients. Re: Wash the lettuce, cut the strawberries, and make your vinaigrette. Toss each ingredient separately with the dressing and assemble. That’s it!
(Or be a bit lazy and toss it all together with the dressing it will still be good!).

How to Prep this Recipe Ahead of Time

• Vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge.
• Little gems can be washed and dried up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge.
• The basil and strawberries a can be cut hours before serving before serving and stored in the fridge.
• The entire salad can be assembled a few hours before serving and stored in the fridge.

Happy advance planning if that’s your jam! Then simply take the assembled salad out when ready to eat and wow your guests!

The dynamic duo: Black Pepper and Strawberries

Have ya ever had this magical black pepper/strawberry combo?!?!

If not, its about to blow your mind!

The best explanation I read about it was:
Black pepper does for strawberries what salt does to meat.

How rad is that?!?!

Who else wants to geek out on flavor combos with me?

Black pepper intensifies the flavor of strawberries, makes their flavor sweeter, richer and more vibrant. Think just a little bit. The purpose of the pepper is more to enhance the flavor of the strawberry than to bring its own to the plate. It’s to help the strawberry taste more like a strawberry.

Cooks Tips

• When possible, buy local and organic produce.
• Go for the teeny tiny strawberries. The little’s are generally sweeter than their jumbo counterparts.
• DON’T use croutons!
• Choose your bread wisely! Think dense, rusty, hearty, dark country style bread (pretty much the opposite of wonder bread).
• It’s possible to assemble the salad an hour (or a few) before serving.
• Leftover panzanella can be stored for 1-2 days in the fridge.

Stoked on more summer salad recipes? I got YOU with LOTS! Check out my:

• Summer Salad Ideas
• Watermelon & Feta Salad
• Stone Fruit & Crispy Prosciutto Salad
• Stone Fruit Salad with Burrata 
• Caramelized Fig Salad with with Prosciutto and Blue Cheese
• Plum & Cucumber Salad with Roasted Ginger Vinaigrette

Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #chefdanielagerson. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

Let’s make waves in the kitchen!

Print Recipe

5 from 11 votes

Strawberry Burrata Panzanella with Basil and Little Gems

Perfectly ripe, sweet n’juicy strawberries, luxuriously creamy burrata and crunchy toasted bread cubes create a deliciously fresh summer salad that comes together in under 30min!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Californian

Keyword: Panzanella, Strawberry Burrata Panzanella, Strawberry Burrata Salad, Strawberry Salad, Summer Panzanella

Servings: 6

Author: Daniela Gerson

Ingredients

Strawberry Burrata Panzanella

• 1 pound loaf of hearty bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper to taste
• 4 heads little gems
• 2 pints strawberries hulled and halved/quartered
• handful basil leaves cut or roughly torn

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 shallots minced
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly cracked blacl pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 
•  On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the olive ooil over the bread cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toast to coat. Bake until crisp and firm but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• While the bread is in the oven, wash and dry the little gems and wash and cut the strawberries.
• To make the vinaigrette, combine shallot, honey and vinegar in a bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Lightly toss the bread cubes, the lettuce and the strawberies with some of the vinaigrette, keeping each seperate (optional).
• Assemble the salad, first the dressed little gems, then the bread cubes and strawberries. Top with burrata, basil and another vinaigrette drizzle. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt.

Notes

• When possible, buy local and organic produce.
• Go for the teeny tiny strawberries. The little’s are generally sweeter than their jumbo counterparts.
• DON’T use croutons!
• Choose your bread wisely! Think dense, rusty, hearty, dark country style bread (pretty much the opposite of wonder bread).
• It’s possible to assemble the salad an hour (or a few) before serving.
• Leftover panzanella can be stored for 1-2 days in the fridge.