Although I will happily eat burrata — that lush mozzarella-on-the-outside, creamy-ricotta-center cheese from Puglia’s Razza Podolica’s cows by way of skilled craftsmen — with a knife and fork, quartered on a plate, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic, flaky sea and pepper with or without a few tiny tomatoes all around and sometimes even some basil from this day until the end of days and never want for anything else, two small things about this will forever plague me: this is an expensive undertaking and when I’m done, I will still probably be hungry for dinner.
What’s a girl to do when she likes fancy things but doesn’t have the trust fund to support it? I may approach the subject jokingly, but as any of us who has attempted grocery shopping on a budget knows, the struggle is real. Do you save your favorite ingredients for special occasions? Do you save it for cooking-for-one nights, to limit the financial hit of it all? My way is instead to try to stretch things, forever looking for ways to turn luxurious appetizers like this into a full, actually sating, meal.
If burrata — which, by the way, means “buttered,” in case you weren’t yet convinced you needed it in your life — is such a star, why not let it carry a dish? I found my a-ha moment in the Polpo cookbook from the eponymous London restaurant I fell in love with a few years ago. (I talk about it more, by way of spinach pizzettes, over here.) Here, atop an excellent warm lentil and vegetable salad, the burrata is treated the way a poached egg would be elsewhere, allowed to break open and spill out, enriching everything around it. I took a few liberties with the recipe; I merged the basil oil and mustard vinaigrette into one thing, because who wants to make two dressing on a weekday night and I swapped the carrots and celery for the zucchini that’s everywhere right now, but kept what I felt was the essential part: luxury in a wholesome weeknight format.
Previously
One year ago: Raspberry Crushed Ice
Two years ago: Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Three years ago: Kale Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts
Four years ago: My Favorite Brownies
Five years ago: Tomato Salad with Crushed Croutons
Six years ago: Sweet Corn Pancakes
Seven years ago: Lobster Rolls and Espresso Chiffon Cake with Fudge Frosting
Eight years ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Nine years ago: Plum Almond Tart
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Broccoli Melts
1.5 Years Ago: Perfect Corn Muffins
2.5 Years Ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
3.5 Years Ago: Italian Stuffed Cabbage
4.5 Years Ago: Lasagna Bolognese
Burrata with Lentils and Basil Vinaigrette
If you think you’re not a lentil person, have you tried lentils de puy? Tiny, almost nutty in flavor and keeping intact when cooked, they’re so wonderful in salads, warm and cold, I’m convinced that they can convert anyone. Sure, they’re a household staple in France, but here they can be found at a lot of grocery stores or ordered online.
- 1 1/2 cups dried lentils de puy or other small green lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium zucchinis (about 6 ounces each), diced
- 1 small or 1/2 medium onion, diced
- Leaves from 3 fresh sprigs thyme
- 2 small or 1 large garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons red or white wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large balls of burrata (or 4 smaller ones), at room temperature (see Note up top)
- Sea salt and more black pepper
- A few small basil leaves for garnish
Lentils
Basil vinaigrette
Assembly
Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: Blend basil, mustard and vinegar together in a food processor. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil in a thin stream. Season well with salt and black pepper. You’ll need to scrape the machine down a few times to get all of the leaves minced. No food processor? Very finely mince leaves on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Place in medium bowl and whisk with mustard and vinegar. Drizzle in olive oil in a thin stream, whisking the whole time. Season well with salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion, thyme, salt and pepper and cooking, stirring frequently, until softened and just barely picking up color, about 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add cooked lentils back to pan and stir to mix and re-warm; you can add a splash of water if they’re sticking. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Assemble: Transfer lentil-vegetable mixture to a large, wide serving bowl and stir in 2/3 of vinaigrette. Place intact* burratas on top and then cut into quarters with a sharp knife so you don’t miss any of the wonderful stuff that spills out. The warmth of the lentils will melt it further. Drizzle with a little extra vinaigrette, a few pinches of sea salt and a couple extra grinds of black pepper. Scatter basil leaves over and dig in.
(* Unless you’re me and tripped walking home from errands yesterday because you were carrying too much and smashed blueberries, cherries, heirloom tomatoes and burratas and now I am grumpy despite having a Muppet bandaid on each knee.)
Trader joes makes an excellent burrata that is reasonably priced – maybe $5 for 8 ounces? This looks delicious!
Definitely spring for the pound of that one. An 8-ounce ball at a fancy cheese shop is often $8 to $10. That said, I bought Bel Gioso brand last week and forgive me, fancy cheesemongers, it was excellent and much more budget-friendly, while also not going bad in 24 hours.
Bel Gioioso cheese is great, don’t feel apologetic about it (says a Wisconsin resident and cheese-fan) Their ricotta is also excellent and has no added ingredients. :)
It was more of a ‘I understand that if you are from a long line of burrata makers in Puglia, this will make your clutch your pearls…’ ;)
Ha – yes. My family is Pugliese and while eating burrata with my cousins is one of the greatest eating experience of my stinkin’ life the Trader Joes version actually surprised me! It’s only 5 dollars for two balls and I can afford to eat them all the time. I’ve actually enjoyed the TJs version more than pricey imported containers!
I just tried Bel Gioso ricotta for the first time last week and it blew the store-brand out of the water!! Which is basically all we have around here.
What I had leftover from making Deb’s Bowties with Sugar Snaps Lemon and Ricotta, I ate barely sweetened with fresh-picked peaches as an afternoon snack for a few days. So good!
Trader Joes full fat ricotta is wonderful as well…..just sayin’.
I have made this several times from the Polpo cookbook. It’s excellent and guests love it. The blue cheese can be left out too.
Oops. I see that Deb leaves the blue cheese out. That’s great! The original recipe has it and I think it’s unnecessary.
I always wondered if was an editing error because it doesn’t seem otherwise referenced in the lentil recipe or photo… They want you to use the mustard dressing from another salad and that dressing has blue cheese stirred in but it wasn’t clear that they’d meant the blue cheese too. I mean, I wouldn’t dislike it here (or anywhere, I adore blue cheese) but I’m not positive it is essential. Did you feel it was?
I have eaten this exact dish at Polpo in London on my 26th birthday, the day I got engaged and the day I found out I was pregnant. Definitely no blue cheese in it. My now husband has given me the book and I can see from where the confusion arises, but there’s no blue cheese with the burrata!
Thank you for clarifying! I just knew it was editing oversight. (I mean, I heart blue cheese. But seems odd here.)
Hello! I’m curious what pot you’re cooking the lentils in, please? I need one like this!
What can you use if you don’t have burrata? I don’t think I’ve seen it locally.
A good soft mozzarella, I’d go for oval ones if you can find them in water.
This dish looks SO delicious and interesting! I just bought burrata today so I’m totally making this for my lunch tomorrow. :)
I love that it’s made by “skillet craftsmen” !!
Ditto, but I fixed it anyway. :)
Oh, I think the email still says “skillet”. Took me by surprise, but I like it better anyway.
Is this a dish that you should eat all at once, or will it keep for leftovers? (or would you partition the lentils and save a second piece of burrata for leftovers?)
We absolutely had enough for two nights. I didn’t dress the second half or put the burrata on it. Will rewarm tonight, mix with remaining dressing, then put the cheese on top. (Can’t wait!)
We increased the recipe by 50% to have leftovers. Heated up and served over fresh spinach makes an amazing lunch!
Mmm such a yummy summer dish! Love the burrata in there!
Deb, what do you keep in your jar with the lentils? Oh so curious! Is this some sort of essential life-hack?
My mother always kept the top of a box or key cooking information from a package in the jar with the item, which comes in handy more often than not. So, it’s part of the Sabarot box that I was clearly too lazy to trim with scissors to the essential parts and shoved it almost all in.
My mother did the same thing and now I do too! Moms, they knew what they were doing.
I do that, too. Also great if you’ve got baby/scatter brain and can’t remember what brand you’ve liked so much…
Do you think this will work with black lentils? I have everything else except for that. These are all my loves so I am so excited to see them in one dish. I used to make a meal out of a buratta salad by adding a garlic toasted bread but this looks even better!
Yes, and I think they’re very close to de puy in texture and don’t get mentioned enough as a swap.
Deb, I love your ricotta recipe, and was wondering if you’d ever had a try at burrata? How hard would it be to make at home, do you think?
I think it’s way more difficult. First, you have to make mozzarella which is a lot of stretching and kneading and then you have to form a big hollow bag of it and fill it either minced mozzarella and cream mixture (i.e. quite liquid and tricky) or a very soft ricotta and basically wrap it like a bag around it and tie it off and I’m 100% okay with leaving this to the experts forever. :)
Not recipe-related at all, but alas!, in my feed reader, the images on this post are ENORMOUS. This has never been a problem before. Any chance a setting somewhere has been changed that could be changed back? Cheers!
Huh. We can look into it. The RSS feed hasn’t been working properly since the redesign and isn’t fixed yet. What you’re seeing is kind of a hack until it’s right again. Still, it shouldn’t be a mess…
SO excited to make this!
Have everything. But no kosher burrata around. Actually eyeing the fresh mozzarella this morning but I sprang for cows milk feta. Can I use it here instead?
Thank you deb
Yes — or you could use both!
thanks so much for replying! getting on it!
I’ve made variations of this (usually with carrot, celery, and red wine vinegar/mustard dressing), and yes — even the smallest bit of burrata can make it feel like a luxury. But it’s usually my go-to in winter, when I want a bit of indulgence… I’m excited to have another incarnation with zucchini for summer!
And ditto on the lentils de puy. I was not big on lentils until I tried them, and now I’m a total convert.
Mmm. I am living in Italy right now, where burrata is cheap and plentiful. Definitely going to try making this! The biggest challenge will be finding lentils – and then getting my Italian father-in-law to eat them!
My family is Italian-American -but we grew up eating lentils (lenticchi with spaghetti). Our family is from near Pompei and Calabria – but curious as to where in Italy lentils are a foreign concept?
I’d have to agree with ADS4. For the (short) time I lived in northern Italy, I was able to find lentils, was served lentils, and saw them on menus. Maybe you just don’t acknowledge that they are lentils and all will be fine?
Deb. Deb! This recipe is saving me in the heat of summer and (drumroll please) I have all of the ingredients! …Quick question for you though – I want to make the dressing by hand without the food processor. If I finely chop the basil, can I just use a whisk to get that beautifully emulsified texture or would it be best for me to just suck it up and make a ton more dishes?
Should be just fine and I include directions in the second half the dressing paragraph.
Haven’t noticed if anyone else mentioned it, but if you have a hand blender, you can blend the ingredients for the vinaigrette right in a (Mason) jar.
Good idea. But I have trouble getting herbs ground well with mine, then again, I recently realized it was 12 years old, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. I mean, this is how it happens, right? One day your kitchen is filled only with new shiny things and the next your kids are like “Mom, this tin of spice has been here since the 80s, maybe it’s time for an update?” I digress…
Thanks for sharing your tripping story. I recently tripped walking home (on a bustling street, of course) and it was so embarrassing. I sported bruises and many, many band-aids for a good two weeks. My partner assured me it’s not a big deal, but how often do you see adults face planting next to you? It helps knowing I’m not the only adult who trips :)
Alas, I also face-planted a couple months ago on my walk into work. Spilled all the coffee I had been planning on making a few batches of iced coffee with too. That was the biggest blow, by far. I think you can still see the coffee stain/remains.
I face planted a few months ago as well. It was so embarrassing and really painful – I had huge bruises on my knees for a couple weeks. Glad to know I’m not alone!
This looks amazing (not to mention, the perfect dish to use up all of my summer basil)!!
I make lentil salads all the time. I don’t know where I’ll find burrata or the French equivalent, but I’m on it!
I have never seen “de puy” lentils here. I just have the plain old green lentils from trader joes. Would that work?
Please no. You need Puy. I have tried to swap regular green lentils for puy in a similar recipe as I couldn’t find them where I was staying, but the taste was missing. I think regular green lentils are pretty tasteless anyway, much prefer brown or red, but Puy are superb and luckily easy to find in London where I live.
I used green and it worked great! This was so wonderful.
Psst, looks like a tiny typo in your ingredients box: “ASEEMBLY” instead of ASSEMBLY.
Thanks, now fixed.
Slight typo in the header that reads Assembly…
Thanks, now fixed.
For anyone that has a Coscto nearby and a membership to boot, you can get a tub of BelGioso burrata for pretty darn cheap ($6-7 in Utah!). And in my household of only two, the tub lasts up to a week even with me snacking on a piece daily. Oh, Coscto. Making posh accessible to everyone. Thanks, Deb! I’ll have to give this recipe a shot soon!
I have actually not yet tried buratta for just the reasons you mention. I’m so excited you’ve presented me with a proper excuse to finally buy the stuff!
May be overkill but not caring, I’m going for the poached egg w/ this delite as well.
Best way to store leftovers?
We only put the burrata and the dressing on the portion we’ll eat and store them separately. This way when you rewarm the lentil mixture the dressing added after will stay bright and the burrata won’t lose its fresh texture.
Hi Deb- is there a vegetable you can swap out for the summer squash? Any other suggestions of what to use instead?
Thanks,
Sarah
The original recipe uses carrots and celery, a more traditional pairing with lentils. No reason you cannot add any vegetable you’d enjoy here.
Hey Deb
Are you aware that the link to the new recipes still does not work?
Yes, unfortunately, cannot figure out how to fix it. Just to remind you, there’s a cleaner newsletter that’s fully functioning; it goes out weekly and you can sign up in the sidebar or from this link: https://smittenkitchen.com/subscribe/
TECHNICAL (website) PROBLEM: You kindly answered all the questions, Deb, but your answers only show up under “All Comments,” not under the “Questions” tab!
(I plan to make this recipe tonight, and will report back.)
Thanks; I’ve let the team know there are still problems.
Such an easy and great recipe. I really love lentils and I was so happy first time I don’t overcooked them. Haha. I never tried burrata but really Need to check if I can buy it here in Germany. xoxo Janine
Thought you would like to know about the misspelling of “Assembly” in the gray ingredients box. Also, my husband and I discovered burrata last summer after reading and making the Tomato and Stone-Fruit Panzanella recipe that was published in the WSJ. http://www.wsj.com/articles/tomato-and-stone-fruit-panzanella-with-burrata-1438957860. This Panzanella is a great use of those heirloom tomatoes that unfortunately got smashed. I don’t know if I will be able to convince my husband that there is another burrata recipe worth trying, but I think I can sell him on how we can use more of our fresh herbs with this one. :-)
What could be used in lieu of burrata? Buffala mozzarella? Ricotta?
Yum! I love how you liken the burrata to serving an egg over top of the dish…Runny eggs are not really my thing but burrata sure is!!! I guess I’ll start using it as a substitute for all those runny egg dishes! ;-)
I read you first sentence without taking a breath. Whew!! It was a feat but I’m Italian, I talk fast, I read even faster and when I read burrata I had to get it all in. I love that cheese and I know what you mean about keeping the budget. My weakness is cheese — why does it have to be so expensive?? This recipe sounds amazing. I could eat this every day!! Can’t wait to make it.
Someone once told me that the best place to find good cheese at a good price in the US is Costco.
I once had a almost beef lentil stew with very few ingredients at a small restaurant in Rome and I have always wondered how to recreate it. It used the same brown lentils, which I think are far better than the green ones. Have you seen a recipe ever for something like this?
In Italy, there are small brown lentils (I only know them as lenticchie, but that’s the name for all lentils I think) that are very close to de puy, in that they hold up well in salads and don’t fall apart like our brown lentils here. I think a beef lentil stew sounds delicious.
This. This is amazing. This is everything. Thank you.
Just wanted to say, I hope your knees heal quickly. Once I missed a curb and went down that way, both knees, in front of a bunch of construction workers. I was so embarrassed! I sort of slunk home, bleeding. Made me wonder how kids get over that sort of thing so quickly, because I remember it as really hurting a lot! Sorry about your owie, not to mention the produce and cheese!
I am so making this!! Burratta, YUM! So good even alone with big flakes of sea salt. I have found de Puy lentils at Target, of all places. Also, Whole Foods and our local natural foods stores both have them in the bulk section.
That was excellent!! I made it with tiny black lentils (called Beluga lentils here in Germany) since I discovered I was out of Puy lentils. The combination of the warm lentils and zucchini with the basil vinaigrette and the Burrata cheese (someone questioned whether it was available in Germany, and the answer is definitely yes) was delicious. My husband also enjoyed it and said that for him the burrata made all the difference and that he would probably not have liked it without. Thank you once again for a great and simple idea for a weekday dinner I could never have thought of myself.
Great use of late summer vegetable and herb garden bounty! My lentils were quite brown and, although it tasted fantastic, you know what it looked like.
Cooked my lentils in chicken broth and chopped up baby mozzarella balls.
Tasting delish while eating well. Feeling proud of myself.
This was amazing! I made on a night I was home alone and I savored it. Possibly the best way I’ve ever had buratta.
This was totally delicious!! I cheated and used the pre-steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s, and I managed to kill my thyme plant so I had to use dried. I prefer more firm zucchini, so I waited until the onions were translucent and added them with the garlic. My carnivorous husband approved.
We tried this recipe yesterday and we loved it. Since we had a lot chervil at home, we used that instead of basil. I am sure the flavor was quite different, but still great. Thanks for the inspiration!
I am a great fan of lentils and also burrata. Can’t wait to try this delicious recipe.By the way- love your new webside.
Oh lord this was good. The favors are amazing and the dish came together easily. I don’t have a food processor but my vinaigrette came out just fine. Only thing was I would have liked more zucchini and fewer lentils
Any make ahead or leftover storage tips for this dish? I was thinking I could store the lentil/zucchini mixture and the vinagrette in separate containers, then assemble them and top with a fresh ball of cheese when I’m ready to serve. Thanks!
I stored the lentils and vegetable together and the dressing separate. I stirred more dressing in once I’d rewarmed the lentils and add the burrata right before eating. You can totally rewarm with with all of the ingredient altogether, but you’ll get the most out of the flavors and textures this way.
Absolutely delicious! I added ground beef and sliced crimini mushrooms to cook with the zucchini mixture. My 1 1/2 year old loved it, too (I left off the vinaigrette for his portion). This recipe is a keeper and my new favorite lentil dinner. The basil mustard vinaigrette is so flavorful and the addition of the burrata is sublime. Thank you!
Sorry, but my husband and son don’t feel like they ate unless there is meat… what do you think would be a good meat to add to this? Italian sausage?
Got all the ingredients to try this recipe. I shop at The Restaurant Depot- don’t hate but burrata is affordable! PS is it terrible that I giggled over your fall! Believe me, I was NOT laughing AT you – cuz this is something that happens to me :)!
This was a hit tonight. I used TJ’s precooked lentils (because I’m lazy) and TJ’s burrata. I subbed balsamic because I was out of wine vinegar. Served it with a cucumber tomato salad. Will make again. My husband loved it and it’s perfect for a summer dinner.
This is so, so good. Made per recipe tonight and can’t wait to play around with other veggies/beans with the flavors this summer. Yum. Need to buy more basil plants!
Any suggestions to sub for the Dijon mustard in the dressing? This recipe sounds delicious but I really can’t stomach mustard in any form :(
You can just skip it. Make sure the dressing is seasoned well, add more vinegar if needed.
BURRATA FOREVER! I did wonder about the spillage of the burrata – I so love cutting into them, and it was all explained! Poor you.
This looks delicious! Deb, if I wanted to make the vinaigrette a couple days ahead, how long would it keep in the fridge?
This was super delicious! Better than the sum of it’s parts. I added a bag of mixed baby cooking greens with the zucchini as well and it got 6 thumbs up in my house tonight.
Love Burrata and lentils. Will be trying this soon. Hope your booboos heal quickly.
Deb, would you mind telling me what size your All-Clad pot is that you cooked your lentils in? I really like that size. Can’t really tell from the picture though. Thanks!
I think it is this one (3-quart but with Dutch oven-like handles instead of a long one) although I don’t recommend the MC2 line it’s from because they’re not dishwasher safe and I learned the hard way — it’s permanently oxidized on the outside. I’d probably buy this one today.
Super recipe! I added a chopped fresh tomato from the garden on top.
I made this Sunday night for my husband and mom, and we all loved it. I just enjoyed the leftovers for lunch and I’m sitting here at my desk wishing I had another bowl. So insanely good! I didn’t have the foresight to separate the lentils into “serving tonight” and “saving for leftovers” portions so I could keep the vinaigrette and burrata on the side for the leftover portion, but honestly, it didn’t matter one bit. I heated my lunch portion, gradually and covered, in the microwave until warm but not hot. The burrata was creamy and melty but not rubbery, and the lentils tasted a bit more on the rich side than the fresh vinaigrette side, but in my opinion, they were still fabulous! Thank you for another recipe that will become a regular part of our rotation.
Thank you…this was delicious! So nice to find a vegetarian dish that has so much flavor. This will be my “go to” dish for serving to vegetarians.
Forgot to say that I accidentally bought Thai basil instead of regular, so I used that. It was probably a little spicier, but we loved it.
I am eating this as I type and I am like to DIE it is so good. Bless green lentils. Bless burrata. And, bless you. For anyone wondering, green lentils are easily found online and bulk from places like Mom’s Organic Market. Mmmm.
Just tried this, subbing celery and carrots. That’s even more Frenchy, right? Somethin’ like a mirepoix. (Totally had to look that up for the spelling. Not that Frenchy over here.) Still delish, for the record.
Hi – made this at the weekend – fortunate to be in Brooklyn where I bought the burrata at an Italian deli. This was absolutely delicious. Will make again while basil is still plentiful in our garden. Thanks for lovely recipe!
I want to try this recipe but for me, the basil is even more expensive than the burrata. I can get a few leaves but not 1 1/4 cup. Could I substitute thai basil? Would that be too weird?
I have never considered the marriage of lentils and burrata! I love them both, but together…wow! Will definitely need to add this to my repertoire! Thanks Deb
I have to admit I was skeptical of eating burrata without tomatoes, but this recipe is glorious. It felt sinful, but it’s lentils and zucchini! This is perfect for the late summer zucchini overflow and I’ll be forever grateful for another excuse to run to the store for some glorious cheese….
And celery & carrots for later in the year (aka zucchini not in season)
This was MAGICAL. Seriously one of my favorite things I’ve ever made from this site and that’s saying a lot. Just as delicious three days later-all stored and microwaved together (!!) Thank you Deb!
Tried it last night and we both loved it. We substituted with dried lemon thyme as we didn’t have any fresh thyme at home and it turned out to be a very nice addition to the flavors in the dish. We will definitely be making it again :)
Thank you for this great recipe!
I’d like to join the chorus of “it’s so delicious! So easy! I’m going to make it every night!” The 6 year old, in particular, was over the moon for this. I followed the directions, but only used 8oz burrata, which seemed like plenty. 3 of us ate every bite!
I loved this dish! It is so good and easy to make…next time, I’ll probably add a few more veggies as I eyeballed my recipe and I like lots of veggies. The basil vinaigrette is delish!
This look absolutely incredible. I’m a big fan of burrata – definitely on my list to make!
I’ve made countless meals, apps and desserts from this site and your book, and am always so happy i did. Our family (3kids, aged 5,3,7 months)has recently decided to become fully vegetarian and so I’m on the lookout for delicious, non curry, non soy based recipes. I wish I could eat this every night. It was Delicious. Many, many thanks for the joy you bring to my taste buds!
My family enjoyed this (husband and kids 5 and 8). I got the last container of burrata at my local Whole Foods. The lady who works in the cheese department said burrata was going fast this week and I can’t help but to wonder if it’s because people wanted to make this recipe.
Simple, delicious and so easy! Loved this recipe! Next time I want to try it with wild mushrooms :)
This was delish. My husband said he would like to have this again, so it will make it into the rotation. We roasted the zucchini and I also threw in some asparagus we had on hand. Thank you!
Hi, Deb,
I like your new format, but there is one problem with the printed version. When printing if the recipe overflows onto a subsequent page, the page footers and headers print over the recipe text.
However, all in all it’s much improved from your previous format. It’s much easier to read on line and, since I print recipes I want to try, the printed version is easier to use whilst cooking.
Cheers, Clara
Ugh, hadn’t realized that. Will let the people who can fix it know. Glad you like the new format.
It looks perfect :)
really tasty, I don’t think I’d change a thing! Be sure to use smooth mustard, I only had granular on hand and found it to be too strong when paired with the vinegar. I ended up adding more basil/lemon juice to cut some of the acidity. Even still this was a great salad and I’ll definitely be making this again
I’m unable to find burrata at our local market. Do you think this would be worth making if all I have is mozzerella??
This was amazingly good.
Only change was adding some halved tiny tomatoes from the market – about 1.5 cups with the rest of the veg. Added some sweetness!
So many great flavours. Perfect way to spoil yourself with some burrata.
This was delicious. I added fresh corn and tiny spoon tomatoes to the zucchini, which made it more veg-heavy and less lentil-dominant. will definitely make again!
Hi Deb – Just to let you know that I love your cookbook and am recommending it to friends. Everything I have tried, from here and the book, are always delicious. We had this dish last night – first time for burrata cheese, which sounded wonderful so had to try it! We had quests, mother always told me not to try out new recipes on company, but we did it anyway. When it came to adding the cheese, I read out your instructions (none of us had tried it before) plus I added the bit about your fall (sorry, but we could all relate); it all worked great and we all enjoyed the dish – everyone had seconds! So thank you for a wonderful recipe to share with friends!
Made this last night. Tweaked it a bit due to a guest’s dietary restrictions. Didn’t have burrata but it was excellent even without. One or more commented that Trader Joe’s had burrata at a less than panic-inducing price. I bought some today, and I will make this again next week (with the burrata).
Made it tonight, bowl was shaped clean by all dinner guests and family. Brilliant.
We enjoyed this recipe, but I think next time I would add some corn or tomatoes to jazz it up a bit. Somehow it just seemed a little overly lentil-y to me. Nice as a vegetarian meal though.
I found burrata and used that, but I think mozarrella could easily be used as a (cost-effective) substitute.
Wow, liked this a lot more than I expected (I am sort of lukewarm on lentils), especially gently warmed the next day. One thought — I have an over-abundance of basil just now. Wondering if I could make a lot of the dressing and freeze it in individual recipe portions? Hmmmm….
Still wondering if there’s really a cheese substitution for the burrata. I used Trader Joe’s but didn’t read carefully to realize the recipe would call for TWO of the 8 oz containers. That is a bit too expensive for regular consumption, but I don’t really see ricotta as a substitute for the center of the burrata…
Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes. I’ve made so many and enjoy them all! I wonder; have you ever considered including nutritional information? I’d love to dive in armed with information that helps me make more informed dietary choices. Keep ’em coming!
I mad ethics for dinner last night and it was wonderful. We didn’t have any leftovers!
We loved this for dinner tonight. I used one 8oz TJ’s container of burrata and it was enough. I really love this dressing and would use it for other things as well. We’ll make this again!
Very tasty, even though I used buffala instead of burrata :) Halved the recipe and will have enough for two lunches.
I made this tonight. It was quite good I am not terribly time-consuming, but I thought it was a little bland. I mistakenly added more mustard than the recipe called for, but I still would have liked more zing in the dressing. I suspect I under-measured the basil a little, so maybe that was the issue. Or maybe my white wine vinegar didn’t have enough oomph? Either way, if I make it again I will make sure that the dressing is strong enough for my taste before I mix it in with the lentils.
That was supposed to be “and not terribly time-consuming”. Someday I will remember to proofread.
Is there a reason that the mustard in the dressing needs to be smooth? I only have grainy and would love to avoid adding another jar to the fridge. I saw that someone in the comments said that using grainy mustard made theirs too pungent, but maybe that could be solved by dialing down the amount of mustard and balancing it out by subbing in a little more olive oil?
this was an easy dish to make and throw together just as friends arrived, I used only 1 8oz buratta, for 4 of us, and found it to be perfectly adequate (even tho I had a 2nd for backup). I also had beluga lentils on hand, so used them and when contrasting to yellow summer squash, think it was very appealing.
Thanks, I don’t think I’ve had a recipe of yours yet that hasn’t been a winner…..
I am sorry if someone gets offended by this but…imagine what would happen if you add some meat to that! Oh gosh, my mouth is watering.
Thanks for sharing it with us, lady.
OMG this was good and quick too. Perfect for a fall day with crisp air. This is good for people who aren’t too sure about lentils too – de puy lentils can be a bit muddy if overcooked but these were perfect. We had one bunch of basil which wasn’t enough – buy 2 bunches to be sure. This was an excellent way to eat buratta – we got it at Trader Joe’s and it was reasonably priced. We had it as a vegetarian dinner but you could add bacon or shrimp (or both!) to make the meat eaters happy.
This impressed a sister-in-law born and raised in Rome, who is skeptical of most recipes that don’t come from Nonna. Well done!!!
I really enjoyed this recipe, but I found it pretty difficult to salt this dish to taste. A ballpark estimate would have been useful.
The lentils and dressing are both ‘salt to taste’, but it is difficult to know how salty each should be, before they are joined together. Also, the burrata adds an additional sodium component.
My result was that the final dish was over-salted, even though each component tasted fine on its own.
Simply fantastic! I am enjoying this dish as I type this and had to leave a note to say how fantastic it is! The flavors, textures….simply wonderful!
Thank you Deb!! You never fail me!
so delicious! made this with mozzarella and will bring it to a brunch tomorrow, but I couldn’t resist stealing a portion and eating it warm. simply great!
everyone loved it, it was gone in a heartbeat. This will become a staple this spring and summer, mostly with the more economical version of mozzarella I guess ;)
Perfection. I couldn’t find burrata today–only mozzarella–and this still came out delightful. I also think I accidentally added more much thyme than the recipe called for, and it only seemed to add to the flavor. Great flavor combination!
I made this last night and it was so delicious! I’d never heard of burrata before but followed the tip of a previous reviewer who suggested Trader Joe’s as a source for the cheese—so good. :) My partner has issues with cow’s milk (and cheeses made from it) so for him we picked up a mild goat cheese as an alternative topping. He said it was really tasty and it seemed to add the called for creaminess. Verdict: we’d absolutely make this again.
My sister made this earlier in the week, and it was STUNNING. I’m making it myself this week, and in order to save a little money, I’m going to use Trader Joes buffalo mozzarella with a dollop or two of sour cream instead of burrata.
I was thinking grilled sausages would be a perfect complement to it.
I made this last summer and we all loved it and again a few nights ago when my son suggested it. (13 yo remembered a lentil dish from last summer! What?!) Forgot to buy the zucchini so subbed equal weight of carrots, celery and sliced cherry tomatoes. It was still great. Yesterday my 10 yo daughter raided the fridge for the leftovers after soccer. My children, voluntarily eating lentils. Thank you Deb!
Simply delicious. Halved the recipe for 2 adults and 2 littles. Definitely more than the sum of its parts. And it felt so good to make it with zucchini (so much zucchini to deal with!), onions, basil, and thyme from the garden! Added a few chopped cherry tomatoes for good measure.
I will say for the vegans out there that I think it would be equally delicious sans burrata.
I made this tonight–delicious, satisfying and so healthy! We also threw in a couple avocados that needed to be used and topped it with a crispy egg. Yummm
Hi! I love this dish in the summer and want to adapt for fall/winter. Any suggestions?
I’m planning on the carrots & celery mentioned as being the original recipe. For winter.
It’s very early spring now & I’m gonna try adding asparagus (per a comment). ‘Cause Trader Joes has basil plants already (therefor fresh basil).
Someone suggested “mixed baby cooking greens ” which could be used w/carrots & celery for winter. I get baby kale from my CSA in the winter.
I want to take this dish to a Thanksgiving dinner out of town. Shall I mix the lentils and zucchini with the vinaigrett on Tuesday, then reheat on Thursday, or shall I take the vegetables and vinaigrette separately, heat the vegies up Thursday, then add the vinaigrette and burrata?
I want to take this dish to a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. I will need to cook the lentils and the zucchini on Tuesday. Would it be ok to mix them with part of the vinaigrette on Tuesday or would it be better to transport the vegetables and the dressing separately so that I would mix them after reheating the veggies?
Thanks.
Hello. If this were to be served instead as a side dish, do you have any recommendations for main dishes that would work (i.e. what protein it would pair nicely with)? Thanks!
Note: I made this yesterday with extreme modifications since I was using what I already had available in my pantry and fridge (don’t be offended but I used fresh spinach instead of basil to make the vinaigrette, and sour cream instead of burrata!) and was still delicious! I have some leftovers but not enough and would like to perhaps make a fish or chicken and serve the leftovers to accompany.
Grilled steak (maybe with more of that basil vinaigrette on it?), grilled sausages, grilled chicken, also with more of that vinaigrette (okay, a grilling theme perhaps, not actually realistic if you’re in this Northeast slushstorm)…
OMG I made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! My 14 month old baby devoured it. Definitely going to be a staple in our regular meal rotation. : )
I’ve had this recipe saved for forever, but it ended up being the first ever SK recipe that I felt “meh” about. It wasn’t bad (I still am eating left overs for lunch tomorrow!) but it seemed kinda bland to me. Then again, I often think k pesto is bland and that is essentially what flavors this dish—so maybe I should have predicted that. To me, it needed more brightness or spice? And it also needed a vessel -we ended up scooping it onto toasted bread-or something else to add depth or a texture change. I wonder if my burrata has been better quality if I would have felt differently. It just tasted like mozzarella to me, and I feel about mozzarella the same way I usually feel about pesto-kinda bland and lacking in nuance. I got my burrata from a Trader Joe’s, which commenters said positive things about so maybe I’m just not that impressed with burrata?
I had it again the next day but added salt to it, and it was much better. Maybe I had under seasoned it the first time!
I kind of mixed 3 different salads of yours. I cooked some Yukon potatoes, added green asparagus before they were done and cooked them together for 7 more minutes. Then added the lentils and left out the zucchini bit completely. Mixed it with the basil vinegraitte and topped with the burrata. Heaven! (I know it‘s quite different from the original, but still, I thought it was a very typical smitten meal 😄
Vinaigrette, sorry ;)
Just made a slightly simpler version of this – I had fresh farmers market zucchini and came to SK for inspiration, and lucky for me also had prepared lentils from Trader Joe’s in the fridge already! I added ham fried crispy to make it seem more meal-like for my partner. It was FABULOUS. I made sure not to lose any of the burrata wonderfulness – this was a perfect and slightly decadent weeknight dinner.
I love this recipe so much. It’s one of my favorites because I never would have thought to combine lentils and burrata, but it solves the problem that lentils are lovely but a bit too ernest on their own. I’ve made it >10 times now and it’s perfect as written.
I love this and want to make some for a friend who just had a baby. Do you think I could freeze it for them?
I wouldn’t freeze burrata but the other parts should freeze fine.
I’d like to try this recipe. How do you think it would be served at room temperature?
Room temperature should be fine.
Tried the recipe (served warm) for guests, all of whom enjoyed it. Prepared green lentils in advance (cooked with some whey from your ricotta recipe) and, because they yielded over 3 cups, made more vinaigrette and added it when assembling the dish to make sure it wouldn’t be too dry. Finished what little leftovers there were the next day at room temperature. As you suspected, they were fine.
Love this! My suggestion to combat the pricy burrata: buffalo mozzarella whipped in a small blender with a few ounces of heavy cream and topped with a crack of sea salt…. a beautiful cheaper alternative I picked up from a trip in Sicily!
I made this back in September and thought about it longingly about once a week until I gave in and made it last night. I can confirm that even with off-season zucchini and basil it’s still absolutely delicious! I split four four-ounce balls of Trader Joes burrata across six portions, and the only problem I had was trying to cut them into even thirds.
Is it possible to simply print the recipe?
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I happened to be in Whole Foods and the only burrata they had was Buf brand and it was nowhere near as good as Bel Giosa.
This recipe is amazing! My new favorite way to eat lentils. I used the French green Le Puy lentils, and they are perfect since they retain their shape in cooking. I love the basil vinaigrette here! It feels like an indulgent pesto pasta, but way healthier and heartier.
Holy shnikies that was really good! Thank you for sharing an amazing recipe Deb!
I’m so obsessed with this recipe. So simple and ridiculously DELICIOUS. I made your focaccia recipe to go along with it and… GOOD LORD.
When you make this again, can you please add the weight for the basil? I never know how much to pack it in.
What a phenomenal recipe! We just finished dinner and I had to review it immediately. Satisfied everyone from carnivore to vegetarian—raves all around. One said it tastes like a summer night. Perfect balance of flavors: an umami bomb! Can’t wait to make it again.
Deb, what would you recommend I try subbing for the mustard, or have you made this simply without it? This dish sounds so delicious, but my husband loathes mustard, which makes it so hard for me to make vinagrettes or marinades!
Just skip it here!
Hey Deb, try this with beluga lentils, will take it over the top. Loved this recipe. A keeper. Oh yum.
I made this last night with small black lentils because that is what I had. So delicious.
A new favorite in our house. Used a fresh Italian herb blend in the veggies and cooked the lentils in veggie broth. Yummm.
How long will the dressing stay fresh if stored in the refrigerator- I would like to make it ahead while my basil is fresh and make the lentils in a couple of days
I’m glad I read your mention of “like a runny egg” on top. I’m definitely going to make this subbing a poached egg or two since I have a dairy allergy and LOVE lentils! Thanks!
Wonderful and summery. The cheese adds so much. Followed to a “t”. Thank you from Cape Cod and our garden.
Who makes your favorite burrata in NYC?
I don’t actually have one right now. Let me know if you find a favorite!
I’ve been looking to try out different basil vinagrettes, and came across this one–I made it last night (without the cheese, because I didn’t have burrata or any good substitute) and it was delicious! I ended up using regular green lentils, which mushed down quite a bit but didn’t affect the flavor at all. I also added some leftover garbanzos and a handful of chopped up green beans from my garden, and it was great, filling summer dinner!
I know I’m 5 years (!) late to this party but I just made this dish today and it is literally top three, if not THE most delicious thing I’ve ever made. And I do cook regularly! My gawd. If you’re wondering if it’s worth it (the vinaigrette in particular was greeted with skepticism in my house), wonder no longer. THIS IS DIVINE.
Another winner! Just saw on Twitter and made for a quick lunch subbing a can of Westbrae lentils and country Dijon, such luxurious flavors!
I do not have de puy lentils, but have everything else. I do have red lentils and regular green lentils – which of these two lesser than de puy lentils would be best to use?
I love this recipe. I’ve made it with diced carrots when I didn’t have zucchini. I also sometimes use store bought pesto and a splash of vinegar (and a dollop of Dijon) instead of making the vinaigrette. I like to save the lentil water to add back in if it is dry. And I’ve subbed all sorts of things when I don’t have burrata… fresh mozzarella, ciliegine, or even shredded mozzarella. Yum!!
I have made this exactly as written for my family of four, more times than I can count. In fact, I have stopped making french green lentils any other way; when that’s on menu, this is what we want. Notes: take the burrata out of the fridge midday. It really has to be at room temp to melt. The zucchini we get are always a bit bigger. I buy two tubs of burrata, and serve with a good sourdough miche, to make two days of dinner. (It’s a lot of lentils). When we know we’re going to be extra hungry or we’re serving a crowd, we serve sausage on the side, with a green salad. We have leftovers for breakfast with toast and an egg on top instead of burrata. If we can’t get burrata, we sub a very runny, creamy fresh brie, and that works great. I am so grateful for you, Deb.
Thanks for the recipe! I learned not to cook lentils with salt, you should add salt after cooking. What is your experience?
You can cook beans and/or lentils with salt, there’s no harm, only better flavor. It will not toughen them.
I have been making this since the recipe first posted and it is excellent as is-and as leftovers straight from the fridge. I love to bring it to picnics, or the beach or to other people because it travels so well and is good warm, room temp or cold.
But having made it for years, I do have a couple tweaks. Burrata, while amazing, was out of my everyday budget for a while, so I replaced with cubed fresh mozzarella. I like to add roasted cherry tomatoes (halved, drizzle with olive oil and salt and cook for 50 minutes at 375)-the flavor intensifies and they are so good! Finally, I’m not huge on acidic flavors, so I use champagne vinegar instead of the mustard and other vinegars.
I just pulled up the recipe to make it for the umpteenth time and figured since I love it so much, I should share the love!
I picked up some burrata on a whim at Costco and came here for inspiration – what joy that I actually have lentils and zucchini on hand! Dinner tonight solved.
We had this for dinner last night and it was delicious. Used the smaller black lentils which I had at home (Kandarian’s from Santa Monica Farmer’s Market). We made it together with SK’s Baby Wedge Salad with Avocado and Pickled Onions–which is now part of our rotation. Thanks for making our vegetarian dinners so special!
My income is just enough to subsist but not to eat so finally decided to try out community food pantry.
This, after working full time for 40 years.
What have i found? Burrata regularly. organic yogurt and heavy cream and depuy lentils. fresh and other mozzarella, ricotta. boursin, and brie that costs upwards of $28/pound. Fish from the most expensive grocery stores, organic chicken and filet mignon. And i could go on. Most of the items I never bought because they never fit in my frugal budget. I never expected such largesse.
If I have all the ingredients except the basil, and I substitute some pesto? If so, how much.
Because maybe I went shopping for the buratta but forgot the basil and since we recently moved, we have no garden this summer in which to grow basil, which is sad :(
This was lovely! The vinaigrette really makes this sing. I made it as described, with the sole addition of a smattering of tomato, and it was both summery and also filling! Will definitely make again.
Dear Deb —
Just wanted to tell you: we’ve been making this for 7 years now and it’s a family favorite. Something about the melting burrata plus basil plus lentils… it’s sooo good!!! My daughter leaves for college tomorrow and requested it for her last family meal!!! Thank you!!!
xox Vanessa