Friselle with burrata and vegetables are a fresh summer appetizer, tasty and very easy to prepare. An ideal dish also as a vegetarian main, perfect for those looking for a light but satisfying alternative on hot summer days.
The Apulian friselle – crunchy rings of twice-baked bread – are traditionally softened with a quick dip in water and dressed with simple ingredients, like in the classic recipe of Apulian friselle, featuring cherry tomatoes, oil, and oregano. A rustic, essential dish that has spanned generations.
In the version I propose today, revisited but faithful to the spirit of Southern cuisine, the friselle are enriched with tomato, cucumber, onion, black olives, and burrata: a combination that enhances the taste of fresh ingredients, making it a perfect quick and complete summer recipe.
The friselle with burrata are ideal for those who want to bring to the table a simple yet impressive cold summer dish, with all the authentic flavor of Apulian tradition.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Apulia
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 357.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 47.81 (g) of which sugars 40.44 (g)
- Proteins 12.36 (g)
- Fat 12.98 (g) of which saturated 3.80 (g)of which unsaturated 2.41 (g)
- Fibers 2.49 (g)
- Sodium 299.75 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 195 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 4 Apulian friselle with vegetables and burrata
If you’re celiac, you can use gluten-free friselle available in stores, or make them at home with this recipe.
- 4 friselle (medium)
- 6 oz tomatoes
- 5.3 oz cucumber
- 2.8 oz burrata
- 1/4 Tropea red onion
- 16 olives
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- A few leaves basil
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Recipe for Apulian friselle with vegetables and burrata: how to best season them
To prepare the friselle with burrata, start with the most delicate operation, so to speak, which is soaking the friselle: the goal is to soften them only to the point where they retain some consistency; dip them one at a time in a bowl filled with water with the cut side facing down (1) and leave them submerged for about 15 seconds. Then place them on a plate or tray, with the cut side facing up (2). Then proceed to prepare the vegetables to season the Apulian friselle: wash the tomatoes and cut them into fairly small cubes (3).
Peel the cucumber and also cut it into cubes (4). Peel the onion and slice it very thinly (5). In a bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onion and season them with a good pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (6).
Pit the olives and add them to the vegetables. Also add the torn basil leaves (7). Mix well and distribute this mix of vegetables over the friselle, pouring over also all the oil and vegetable water (8). Open the burrata and tear it with a knife, then distribute a few pieces here and there over the friselle (9).
Serve the friselle with burrata immediately, as a summer appetizer or vegetarian main course.
Storage
The friselle can rest for 10-15 minutes, but should not be prepared too far in advance, otherwise they risk becoming too soft. If there are leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to one day.
Tips and Variations
You can prepare friselle with burrata using different vegetables: I chose vegetables that don’t require cooking for a quick summer dish, but you can also use grilled or briefly sautéed vegetables (eggplants, peppers, zucchini).
If you don’t like burrata, you can replace it with buffalo mozzarella or Greek feta.
