Pin it Last summer, my neighbor handed me a basket of cherry tomatoes from her garden, and I had maybe twenty minutes before friends arrived for lunch. I threw them into a hot skillet out of pure necessity, and something magical happened as the skins blistered and blackened. That accident taught me that the best salads sometimes come from working with what you have and letting heat do the heavy lifting. Now whenever I see those small, jewel-like tomatoes at the market, I think of that afternoon and how a moment of improvisation became something I make all the time.
I made this for my sister's birthday dinner on a weeknight when nobody expected anything fancy, and she actually set down her fork to ask what I'd done differently. The charred tomatoes caught her by surprise, and there was something about the way the burrata split open that made everyone at the table lean in closer. It became the kind of dish that proved good food doesn't need complicated techniques or a long list of ingredients.
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes (2 cups): Look for ones that feel slightly firm and smell sweet, never mealy ones from the back of the pile. The heat transforms them into something entirely different from their raw state.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (3 tbsp total): This is not the time to use the budget bottle. You need something with actual flavor because the oil carries the whole dressing.
- Mixed baby greens (5 oz): A combination of arugula, spinach, and spring mix gives you interesting texture and a gentle peppery note that plays against the creaminess.
- Burrata cheese (8 oz): Buy it as close to serving time as possible, and let it sit at room temperature for five minutes so it's soft and yielding rather than cold and stiff.
- Balsamic glaze (1 tbsp): If you only have regular balsamic vinegar, use it but reduce the amount slightly since it's more acidic and assertive.
- Fresh garlic (1 small clove): Mince it fine and let it sit for a minute before mixing into the dressing to soften its raw edge.
- Fresh basil (1 tbsp chopped, plus leaves for garnish): Tear it by hand rather than chopping with a knife, which bruises the leaves and darkens them.
- Sea salt and black pepper: Taste as you build the salad because the burrata and tomatoes season everything that touches them.
Instructions
- Get your pan smoking:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You want it shimmering and almost smoking before the tomatoes go in, so wait a full minute or two. Impatience here means gray tomatoes instead of charred ones.
- Char the tomatoes:
- Pour in the cherry tomatoes and let them sit without moving for about two minutes so they develop a dark blister on one side. Then shake the pan occasionally for another few minutes until the skins are blackened in patches and the tomatoes have softened slightly. Season generously with salt and pepper while they're still hot.
- Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the balsamic glaze, minced garlic, chopped basil, a pinch of salt, and a crack of pepper. Taste it and adjust because this is where all the flavor lives.
- Build the salad:
- Scatter the mixed greens across your serving platter or individual plates, creating a bed that will catch the dressing. Arrange the warm charred tomatoes over the greens, letting some of their juices soak into the leaves.
- Add the burrata:
- Gently tear the burrata into irregular pieces and scatter it across the salad. The warmth of the tomatoes will soften it slightly, creating pockets of creaminess.
- Dress and finish:
- Drizzle the basil dressing over everything in a loose, generous way. Top with a few whole basil leaves and a small sprinkle of flaky sea salt, then serve immediately while the tomatoes are still warm.
Pin it One evening, my friend brought her young daughter to dinner, and the little girl took one bite of this salad and asked why burrata wasn't in every single meal. That question reminded me that sometimes the simplest preparations let ingredients speak for themselves. It became one of those meals that people talk about long afterward, not because it was complicated, but because it felt generous and tasted like love.
Why High Heat Matters
Charring happens fast and at high temperatures, and most home cooks underseasoned their skillets or use too low a flame. Medium-high heat is your friend here because it creates enough energy to blister the tomato skins without cooking them all the way through. If you hover over medium, you'll end up with soft, collapsed tomatoes instead of those gorgeous caramelized exteriors that crack open when you bite them.
Burrata: The Secret Ingredient
Most people think of burrata as a fancy thing reserved for restaurant plates, but it's genuinely easy to find now at better grocery stores and farmers markets. The magic is in the center where cream and soft curds create an almost liquid texture that pools slightly when you tear into it. It costs more than mozzarella, but not dramatically, and one ball goes further because a little bit creates tremendous impact.
Seasonal Swaps and Make Your Own Moment
Summer brings perfect cherry tomatoes, but in winter, you can use good quality vine-ripened tomatoes halved, or even heirloom varieties if you find them. Roasting on a baking sheet at high heat works just as well as pan-charring and lets you cook a larger batch. The greens can shift with the season too, moving from light spring mix to sturdy arugula or even baby kale when the weather cools.
- Toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds add a satisfying crunch that plays against all the soft creaminess.
- A fresh grind of black pepper applied right before serving makes the dressing taste brighter and more alive.
- If burrata is genuinely unavailable, fresh mozzarella works but isn't quite as luxurious or flowing.
Pin it This salad proves that you don't need hours in the kitchen to feed people something that feels special. Keep it in your back pocket for those moments when you want to show up with something beautiful.