This summertime salad was inspired by a recent trip we took to the East Coast. We were in New Jersey for a wedding that my husband was a groomsmen in. On the day of the wedding, we woke up to pouring rain with high heat and humidity. While my husband was tied up with the wedding events, I decided to head out for a walk to grab some lunch in between rain storms. I found a very cute restaurant to get some food to-go, and just as soon as I placed the order, it started absolutely down pouring outside! Almost like monsoon weather. My order was ready but the storm was no where near being cleared. Since I was pressed for time, I had to make a run for it in my flip flops with no umbrella and walk the half mile back to the hotel. Needless to say, the roads were flooded and so was I by the time I got back to the hotel. BUT, when I opened up my to-go order, I had the most amazing salad awaiting me which made the trek worth it! I was craving it when we got back home, so I recreated it, and am happy to share this simple yet delicious heirloom tomato salad with pesto, burrata cheese and homemade croutons.

When you're making a recipe with very few ingredients, the key is to use high quality ingredients. Since tomatoes are in season, I picked up a mix of them a long with fresh basil pesto. You could certainly make your own pesto, or use store bought to save on time. I also used a day old baguette to make some homemade croutons. If you've never made homemade croutons, they are so much better than store bought and take no time at all to make!

When I recreated this salad at home, I served it on a platter to share with my husband and served it along side some grilled salmon. It is perfect for those nights that you want a quick and healthy meal, and don't want to heat up the house.

Sometimes you have to look for the silver lining in the pouring rain, like discovering an amazing salad you might not have, if it were perfectly sunny outside ;) I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pesto and Burrata Recipe

Ingredients:

4 large heirloom tomatoes in a variety of colors, or 4-5 large plum tomatoes
2-4 Tbs. homemade or store bought basil pesto
Burrata cheese, torn
Handful of arugula, washed
Mini baguette cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Maldon sea salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Instructions:

Slice the mini baguette into 1/2 inch cubes. In a heated skillet with butter and olive oil, toast the croutons until golden brown. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and set on a plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
Core the heirloom tomatoes and slice a 1/4 inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the pesto, adding more to taste. Arrange on a serving platter.
Place the cooled croutons between the tomato slices. Tear pieces of the burrata cheese, placing the dabs of cheese on top of the tomatoes. Add a handful of arugula on top of the tomato mixture. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve and enjoy!