Spinach Salad with Burrata
on Jul 05, 2021, Updated Jul 25, 2024
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Burrata is one of the world's best cheeses, like mozzarella with a creamy inside — it's perfect on top of a lightly dressed spinach salad.
For this simple spinach salad recipe, a pillow of soft and creamy burrata is plunked on top of very lightly dressed greens, and when it is cut open, my oh my. The almost molten cream inside spills out over the piles of tender baby spinach, and it’s one of the best simple salads ever. Some thinly sliced onion and some roasted peppers (try grilled peppers, too) are all you need to make this feel like a voluptuous appetizer or light lunch.
For this salad, a very simple vinaigrette dresses piles of tender baby spinach. I usually like my vinaigrettes quite tangy, but in this case, went much softer, because I didn’t want anything to mask the delicate flavor of the cheese. Serve the salad before an Italian meal of Porchetta or Creamy Tuscan Salmon.
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If you ever need to be reminded of the power of a perfect simple food, then this spinach salad recipe is a great way to recenter yourself. And then keep going: enjoy a perfect ripe tomato, sliced and sprinkled with salt. Add a bit of olive oil and pepper if you like. Eat an ear of very fresh late summer corn, steamed for a tiny handful of minutes, no longer. A rub with some good butter (or not) and a few pinches of salt. Or bite into a piece of any fruit when it’s ripe enough to fall from the tree when you barely touch it. That’s perfection to me.
Burrata is one of the world’s greatest cheese, like mozzarella with a creamy inside—and it’s perfect on top of a vinaigrette dressed spinach salad.
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Burrata Cheese in Salad
Burrata is a semisoft white Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. I think of it like the cheese cousin to a molten chocolate cake. The outside is just the softest silkiest mozzarella, and when you cut it open, a rich creamy filling rolls out of the middle, mingling with the olive oil-based dressed lettuce and vegetables. You should serve this salad with some lovely bread to scrape every bit of the cheese onto.
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Do you know who said that? Confucious. Smart guy. Also, burrata is really simple, and we should make sure we don’t make it complicated. Do you know who said that? Me. I know, I know, Confucius’s line was better.
You can find burrata at cheese shops and well-stocked supermarkets. Also, do check out Grilled Peaches with Burrata, which is another ode to this wonderful cheese.
Spinach Salad with Burrata Ingredients
- Spinach – Baby spinach is a great option for this simple salad because it’s a bit sweeter and more tender than regular spinach. You could also add a bit of arugula.
- Burrata – In this recipe, each salad plate gets a ball of burrata so everyone gets the joy of discovering its delicious interior for themselves.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Use the best olive oil you can find; it’s good to have on hand for any homemade vinaigrette recipe.
- Rice vinegar – Completes the vinaigrette’s delicate taste.
- Sweet onion – Thin slices add a nice contrast to the spinach and burrata; Vidalia onions are a good choice.
- Roasted red peppers – While optional, these give the salad a nice pop of flavor and color. You can use homemade roasted red peppers or jarred.
Variations
- Think about adding some cherry tomatoes to this salad. Roasted tomatoes would be even better.
- Try grilling the peppers instead of roasting them in the oven.
- Try balsamic vinegar instead of rice vinegar for a more potent sweet-tart flavor.
How to Make Spinach Salad with Burrata
- Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the salad: Add the spinach and onions and toss to combine.
- Plate and serve: Divide the salad between 4 plates. Place a ball of burrata on top each portion of salad. Distribute the red pepper slices over each salad, if desired. Let each person slice into their ball of burrata.
What to Serve With Spinach Salad and Burrata
Also, think about a lovely cocktail: Maybe a Cosmo or a Boulevardier.
More Great Salad Recipes
- Kale, Cabbage, and Mint Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Millet and Greens Salad
- Chopped Winter Salad
- Tomato, Avocado, and Cucumber Salad
- Caesar Salad with Garlicky Croutons
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Spinach Salad with Burrata
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 8 cups baby spinach
- ½ sweet onion (such as Vidalia; very thinly sliced)
- 4 (8-ounce) balls burrata cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 roasted red pepper (sliced; optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach and onions and toss to combine. Divide the salad between 4 plates.
- Place a ball of burrata on top each portion of salad. Distribute the red pepper slices over each salad if desired. Let each person slice into their ball of burrata.
