Keto Low Carb Italian-Style Burrata Salad: 3g carbs.
Today’s recipe isn’t so much a recipe as more of a wickedly delicious LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lunch idea. You may wonder if a salad should be worth writing a post about. Let me wipe that thought immediately. This is a great special salad. No doubt about that. And what makes it special is burrata.
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it. Most people haven’t. Unless they’ve been following me on Instagram, that is. Hence why I decided to tell you all what a burrata is, and why it should be a keto staple.
Ok. So What Exactly is Burrata?
Imagine the very best, freshest, most melt-in-the-mouth, delicious buffalo mozzarella you’ve ever tasted. Now add fine strands of soft cheese mixed with fresh cream. Finally, multiply that taste sensation by 10. You’re eating a burrata. A mozzarella pouch, filled with mozzarella strands and fresh cream. Total keto heaven, with a whopping 18-20g fat, 13-15g protein and 0-1g carbs per 100g of product!
The Origins of Burrata.
Search the term “burrata” via Lord Google and you’ll read all sorts of fairytale stories about the origin of this stunning Italian cheese. Some sites claim that it is 200 years old, others that it was first made in the 50s, some even go as far as naming the person who created it. Italians are extremely proud of their foods – they have the highest number of geographically registered and quality designated produce in the world! They’re also highly territorial. So they’ll recount all sorts of wonderfully embellished, romanticised stories, often quoting specific towns in respect of a particular food’s origin. We’ll never know for sure how this cheese was born and when. And who cares, anyway?
What we do know, with a degree of certainty due to general consensus, is that this queen of cheeses is native to the region of Apulia, in Southern Italy, where it is still made by hand, with fresh, unadulterated ingredients. The latter I can certainly vouch for, having had the privilege of seeing a burrata being made in front of my very own eyes. Amazing skills. Unbelievable technique. I witnessed traditional artisan workmanship. It left me open-mouthed in awe. If you ever visit Italy, I highly recommend a cheese or ham making tour. 
5 Burrata Myths Debunked.
1 – There is no butter involved, even though burro in Italian means butter. There is no donkey involved either, even though burro is Spanish for donkey. This is 100% Italian.
2 – No other cheese, i.e. mascarpone, ricotta, etc. is used to make burrata, despite what you might read elsewhere.
3 – Green leaves were traditionally used to seal the pouch. They served as a marker of the burrata’s freshness. If they appeared wilted or discoloured, it was a clear sign that the burrata was past its optimum consumption window. Nowadays, unless you buy your burrata in Apulia, fresh, from a die-hard, traditionalist source, these green ‘leaves’ are 100% fake.
4 – There are two ways of telling if a burrata is fresh. Neither involve the leaves. The first is to open its packaging and smell it. It should smell like fresh milk and nothing else. Any hint of rancid aroma will be a tell-tell sign that your much sought after burrata left those artisan hands too long ago. The second one involves cutting the mozzarella pouch. The contents should be bright white and ooze out. There should be no acidity whatsoever. It should just taste milky, buttery, creamy and have a very neutral flavour.
5 – Burrata isn’t best served on its own. In my humble opinion, the taste -although amazing, is too bland and sickly if eaten on its own. I prefer it accompanied with cherry or plum tomatoes, drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I also find that a generous sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt enhances its flavour further.
Keto Low Carb Italian-Style Burrata Salad: the non-recipe…recipe.
Now you know everything you need to know about burrata, all you have to do is find it! Not an easy task, outside of Italy. The problem is that it doesn’t travel well, as it suffers at the slightest temperature change. Remember it has no preservatives, not even natural ones, as it is made from fresh ingredients and hasn’t been matured. When you do find it, prepare to pay for it. It’s made by hand and it has to travel across the world under special conditions. So clearly, cheap it won’t be. But trust me when I say it is worth it! In the UK, head for Waitress, where you’re likely to find it. Not a patch compared to the ones I get in Italy, but still unbelievably good. 
You will notice that my Keto Low Carb Italian-Style Burrata Salad is drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well as Linseed Oil. In case you’re wondering why, I use cold pressed, virgin linseed oil, which is high in Omega 3, to compensate for the High Omega 6 contained in EVOO. When buying Extra Virgin Olive Oil, by the way, look for Italian certified produce on the label, which means Italian, organic, cold pressed local olives, with no chemicals used in extraction and no additional oils mixed in (the EVOO fraud is very real!).
Enjoy!
- Yield: 1
- Serving: 1
- Calories: 548
- Fat: 45g
- Net Carbs: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- 200g burrata
- 80g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
- 40g avocado (net weight)
- 70g cucumber (net weight)
- 25g mixed lettuce leaves (washed and dried)
- 20g organic cold pressed linseed oil (click HERE for U.S. option)
- 20g Italian extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 10g apple cider vinegar(ACV) (click HERE for U.S. option)
- a sprinkle of fine Himalayan pink salt
- take out the burrata pouch from its container, gently shaking the liquid off.
- place on serving plate, surrounded by chopped up veggies.
- sprinkle salt and then EVOO, linseed oil and ACV.
- savour every bite!
Enjoyed this post? I really value your feedback! Please leave me a comment. If you make this recipe, make my day and post a photo on social media with the hashtag #queenketo. Thank you! 🙂
I couldn’t find burrata but used leftover mozzarella and this was still a great salad! Fresh and filling.
Thanks for the comment, Megan. Glad you liked it!