Sophie's Salad: Burrata, Marcona Almonds, Truffle and Greens

A great salad recipe to have in your back pocket anytime you are looking for something easy, light and filling. A simple salad of mixed greens, fresh tomatoes, marcona almonds and topped with a light sprinkling of truffle oil, some Maldon sea salt and a large chunk of creamy burrata cheese. 

For some reason, dining in a department store feels extra fancy to me.  It isn’t something that happens often and it is usually a holiday treat.  We try to stop in for a department store lunch whenever we have a big shopping day.  This recipe was inspired by a lunch we had a Sophie’s at Saks 5th Avenue at Christmas last year.  It was so light and flavorful and I have been thinking about it ever since.  It is a perfect light lunch and can even be a good dinner paired with crusty bread.  

Ingredients

• Mixed greens
• Marcona Almonds
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Truffle Oil
• Burrata Cheese

Marcona Almonds:  Marcona almonds are a type of almond that is known for its unique flavor, texture, and appearance. They are native to Spain and are highly regarded for their delicate and sweet taste. Marcona almonds have a rounder and flatter shape compared to the more common California almonds, which are elongated.  They are sometimes blanched and roasted, which enhances the flavor and gives them a slightly crunchy flavor.  Find them at Whole Foods or any other specialty grocer.  

Burratta is a fresh cheese that is very similar to mozzarella. The process of making burrata involves stretching and shaping a thin layer of mozzarella cheese into a pouch-like shape. This pouch is then filled with a combination of stracciatella cheese (made from torn pieces of mozzarella curd mixed with cream) and sometimes a small amount of cream. The filled pouch is then carefully sealed, resulting in a ball of cheese with a creamy, soft interior.

Burrata has a delicate and mild flavor, with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. When you cut into burrata, the creamy interior spills out, creating a wonderful contrast with the slightly firmer mozzarella shell. It's often enjoyed drizzled with high-quality olive oil or truffle oil sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, The cheese is best enjoyed when it's very fresh, as its texture and flavor are most pronounced shortly after production. Due to its popularity and reputation as a premium cheese, burrata can be found in many specialty cheese shops and restaurants; I typically find it at Whole Foods.

Preparing the Salad

Assembling this should take less than ten minutes.  It is a very simple salad, the simpler the better.  In a large bowl, toss the greens and halved tomatoes with the truffle oil and balsamic vinegar.  Arrange greens and tomato on a small plate and sprinkle a few marcona almonds on top.  Place the burrata ball on top and serve right away.  

Variations

These is one of those salad recipes that would be easy to create variations on.  

• Replace the burrata with fresh mozzarella;
• change out the tomatoes for sweet peaches,
• take the time to toast almonds or just use the salty marcona almonds straight out of the container;
• top with a pickled red onion and some fresh herbs.  

Let me know if you try it and if you come up with your own variation.