Strawberry Salad with Burrata

Summer’s perfectly ripe, sweet and juicy strawberries are at the peak of their season at the California farmers markets! Which means… it’s time to make a strawberry salad!

Summer's best strawberries are paired with luxuriously creamy burrata and crunchy toasted bread cubes for a deliciously fresh and colorful salad that comes together in only 20min!

Let’s break it down. Strawberries. Burrata. Freshly made croutons. Little gems. Basil. Balsamic Vinaigrette. A California summer take on the Panzanella!

Why this Recipe Works

• Super quick and easy to make! Minimal ingredients and prep means this summer salad comes together in only 20min!
• All the of flavors and textures! Juicy strawberries, crunchy croutons, creamy burrata and crisp little gems create a delightful contras!
• Strawberry flavor is intensified! The balsamic, basil and black pepper bring out the sweetness of the strawberries and intensify their flavor.
• Burrata! Because burrata salads are amazingly delicious salads.
• Fresh Croutons! Toasting fresh bread in the oven produces a better texture than the traditionally used stale bread.

 Summer is all about highlighting seasonally fresh and local produce! The farmers markets are overflowing with colorful fruits and veggies at their peak ripeness!

Summers strawberries are the BEST strawberries.  This salad is all about using the very best of your local strawberry bounty that you can!

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

Let’s highlight strawberries in a savory burrata salad!

How to Make this Recipe

• Slice or tear your croutons.
• While they’re in the oven wash lettuce, cut strawberries, and whisk the vinaigrette together.
• Assemble salad and enjoy!

How to Prep this Recipe Ahead of Time

Vinaigrette: make up to a week in advance and store in the fridge.
Little gems wash and dry up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge.
Strawberries: sliced hours before serving and store in the fridge.
Basil:  cut or tear hours before serving and store in the fridge.
Assemble Salad: The entire salad can be assembled a few hours before serving and stored in the fridge.

Easy advance planning if that’s your jam! Simply take the assembled salad out when ready to eat and serve!

Variations + Notes

What is a Panzanella?

Literally meaning bread salad in Italian, the panzanella originated in Tuscany. Traditionally, it’s a popular chopped summer salad of soaked stale bread, onions and tomatoes.
There’s nothing too traditional around here and neither is this version of a Panzanella!
Tomatoes are swapped for strawberries!
Stale bread is swapped for hearty fresh toasted bread!
And there’s burrata!
Done and done!

Variations

Strawberries: can be swapped out for pretty much any other summer fruit. Or make this stone fruit and burrata salad.
Burrata: can be swapped for mozzarella.
Balsamic Vinegar: can be swapped for champagne vinegar or another vinegar variety.
Basil: Can we be swapped for mint.
Little Gems: can be swapped for any of type of greens. Best little gem susbtitue is romaine but arugula, butter lettuce, and many others can work too! Note: Generally, little gems are only found at farmers marrket.
Croutons: possible to buy really, really, really good croutons if you prefer to not make them from scratch thought it’s not recommended.
Welcome Additions: Heirloom tomatoes, avocado, and/or add prosciutto, pancetta or bacon for a carnivorous kick.

The salad celebrates the very best of the summer! Few high-quality fresh ingredients going from simple to sublime when properly balanced.
Cooks Tips

• When possible, buy local and organic produce.
• Generally, the smaller the strawberry, the sweeter the flavor.
• For best results, make your croutons with fresh bread.
• Choose your crouton bread wisely! Think dense, rusty, hearty, dark country style bread (pretty much the opposite of wonder bread).
• Salad can be assembled 1-2 hours before serving.
• Leftover strawberry salad can be stored for 1-2 days in the fridge.

Stoked on more summer salad recipes? Check out:

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

Stoked on more colorful produce and burrata recipes? Check out:

• Stone Fruit with Burrata 
• Roasted Grapes & Figs with Burrata
• Fall Fruit Harvest Salad
• Fresh Peas & Radishes with Burrata
• Maple Roasted Delicata Squash with Burrata

  

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 10 votes

Strawberry Salad with Burrata, Bread & Basil

This strawberry salad is loaded with summers sweetest and juiciest strawberries, creamy Burrata, crunchy homemade croutons, and fresh greens! It’s a California summer version of the classic Panzanella!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Californian

Servings: 6

Author: Daniela Gerson

Ingredients

Strawberry Burrata Panzanella

• 1 pound loaf of hearty bread cut or torn into bite sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper to taste
• 4 heads little gems
• 2 pints strawberries hulled and halved/quartered
• 2 balls burrata 8oz/ball
• 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 400F degrees. Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes.
• Tear or cut the bread into bite sized pieces. Transfer to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until bread is evenly coated and spread out in a single layer. Bake until croutons are crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove and use on the salad as needed.
• While the bread is toasting, wash and dry the little gems lettuce and wash and cut the strawberries.
• To make the vinaigrette, combine minced shallots, 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).
• In a large bowl, plater or tray, arrange the little gems, strawberries, croutons and burrata cheese. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with basil.

Notes

• When possible, buy local and organic produce.
• Generally, the smaller the strawberry, the sweeter the flavor.
• For best results, make your croutons with fresh bread.
• Choose your crouton bread wisely! Think dense, rusty, hearty, dark country style bread (pretty much the opposite of wonder bread).
• Salad can be assembled 1-2 hours before serving.
• Leftover strawberry salad can be stored for 1-2 days in the fridge.

Did you make this recipe? Please share and tag @ChefDanielaGerson! I'd love to see how you're making colorful waves in the kitchen!