Grilled Apricots with Arugula and Burrata
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Is there such a thing as too many salad recipes?
The answer is no.
I’ve lapsed into the groove of repetitive salad concoctions just as much as the next person. Yet salads can be so versatile and so varied, if you allow them to be.
Step #1: Mix your greens. Toss some arugula, mizuna, spinach, or kale in with your lettuce, or skip the lettuce altogether.
Step #2: Add fruit. Whatever you have around the house. Swap that tomato out for strawberries, peaches, pears, or plums.* Halve grapes, consider craisins, or get crazy with mango or berries.
Step #3: Add cheese. I guess this is where I lose you if you’re vegan. So here’s where you can do something veganesque (like sprinkle on some nutritional yeast?) or add avocado! Or skip ahead to the next step if you’re just not feeling it, and it’ll still be delicious. (Otherwise crumble on some goat cheese or feta, or slice some fresh mozzarella. Who says your salad can’t be heartier than your main course?)
Step #4: Chop some nuts. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts. Give your salad some protein– and some crunch that does not involve croutons. Also try out bean sprouts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, chickpeas, black beans, lentils, or hard-boiled egg.
Step #5: Dressing. This step is all yours, since it depends what ingredients you’re dealing with, but you can rarely go wrong with a vinaigrette, whether tangy with sweet fruit, with mustard, or with citrus.
Simple, right?**
This recipe ignores this whole technique.
It skips some steps altogether. I found it in a Food & Wine cookbook, and barely modified it, except to leave out the shaved ham. It struck me as a scrumptious-sounding way to use up apricots, and it’s a shining example of an unexpected salad assemblage that on second thought (and on first bite) is not such a strange combination after all.
The grilled apricots were bursting with warm, tart juices, brightened by the lemon dressing, and they were met with just the right amount of spice, from the arugula and black pepper, and richness from the creamy burrata.
It’s also quite delectable to add one warm element to an otherwise chilled salad.
Somehow the pounds of mini apricots evaporated from my kitchen faster than I would have believed. I’m happy I gave this recipe a try before they finished evaporating. My grill pan will certainly glisten with fruit juices again sometime soon.
* Don’t worry tomatoes, you are still– and always will be– my favorite.
** By the way, I skipped adding the usual salad vegetables, like peppers, carrots, and mushrooms… and that’s because sometimes I don’t.
RECIPE:
Grilled Apricots with Arugula and Burrata
(Adapted from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012)
(Serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
~ 5-6 large apricots (or 9-10 small apricots), halved
~ 4 Tbsp. olive oil (plus more for brushing)
~ 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
~ 2-3 ounces arugula
~ 1 bundle of burrata cheese, sliced
~ 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
~ salt and pepper
OPTIONAL:
~ 2 ounces shaved country ham (to add in step #3)
How to make it:
1. Light a grill or pre-heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the apricots with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill cut side down, just until lightly charred (3-5 minutes). Remove and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add the grilled apricots and the arugula. Toss gently.
3. Transfer the salad to a platter and top with burrata cheese. Drizzle over balsamic vinegar to taste.
Related recipe posts:
> Warm Goat Cheese Salad
> Shaved Fennel Salad with Strawberries and Purple Kale
> Apricot Almond Galette (with Strawberry and Mango variations)
> Strawberry Spinach Salad
spontaneous tomato 
Mmmmm…very yummy!!! ;-)
Yes, this is a recipe that I’ll come back to for sure. : )
oh YUM! That looks divine!
Thanks! It was pretty heavenly. (I am a sucker for anything with burrata or fresh mozzarella.)
What a perfect salad. Every step has something extra or just leave it simple. I would definitely add some nuts, I love how they go together with fruit and arugula I like to for the peppery kick. It looks beautiful, healthy and nutritious.
Thanks. Yes, I think nuts would go well in this salad, as with most salads… I’d probably try slivered almonds.
This looks and sounds super delish my friend :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you! : )
I’ve been wanting to have a cast iron grill pan so that I can use it indoor (otherwise I have to ask my husband to bbq some stuff). This looks really good! I’ve seen lots of apricots being used in baked goods, but I love salad recipe!
Thanks! And yeah, I wanted a cast iron grill pan for a while, and still don’t use it quite often enough to justify it, but maybe that will change… It’s great for grilling eggplants for baba ghanoush, or grilling squash (like in the pizza recipe I posted a while back), but I haven’t used it for much else. (Yet!)
Never too many salads! This one looks outstanding.
Agreed! :) (and thanks!)
Beautiful!
Thanks! :)
This can be very versatile, but the combination of grilled apricots with burrata must be fantastic!!
Yes, it was delicious. I don’t think the cheese is optional in this particular salad… I suppose it would be alright with avocado or nuts, but it’s really the creaminess of the burrata that balances out the tart apricots. So good!
Arugula with fruit is one of my favorite combinations–love the peppery spice of the leaves with the sweetness of the fruit, and I’ll bet apricots were extra good with it. But the burrata? that just puts this over the edge. Amazing stuff.
In general, this is my kind of salad–just a few ingredients, no lettuce, simple, delicious. :)
I definitely share your taste in salads then– simple with just a few well-chosen and tasty ingredients!
Never seen a salad like this! Amazing!
It’s funny, I’ve been getting so many comments like yours about this salad! I had never seen a salad exactly like this either, but it didn’t surprise me that much (and was right up my alley) since I am constantly adding fruit to my salads– I’m just too tempted by the sweetness and the variety at my fingertips when I have random fruit ripening on the counter.
What a lovely blog, Allison! Thanks for visiting my blog and like one of my posts. In Brazil, we eat avocado as a fruit so we love to make smoothie, ice cream, and mousse with it. It was a great surprise to see an avocado smoothie here…Have a blessed week!!!!!!!! xx
Thanks, Denise! Yes, I guess avocados get used in sweet contexts in both southeast Asia and South America… Avocado mousse sounds especially yummy! Anyway, I’m a new follower of your blog (I visited Brazil more than 10 years ago, but don’t know much about the cuisine); I’m glad I found it!
I want to eat that right now. Looks like the perfect summer salad.
Thanks! Yes it’s great; too bad apricot season is so short!
I LOVE Burrata!!! What an interesting pairing –with the apricots!