Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe tomatoes, medium-large, peeled and diced
- 1 red onion, medium, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 8 -10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Start Cooking- Add the tomatoes to a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle the red onion with a small pinch of salt and gently rub with your fingers for about 30 seconds. Add to the tomatoes along with the basil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sumac, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Let sit for 5–10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to come together. Bon appétit.
Kitchen Tools:
Notes:
- Beefsteak or vine-ripened tomatoes work especially well for this salad. Choose ripe, flavorful tomatoes for the best result.
- Peeling the tomatoes is optional, but it gives the salad a softer, more delicate texture.
- Rubbing the sliced red onion with a small amount of salt softens its texture and mellows its sharp flavor. There’s no need to rinse it afterward.
- Pomegranate molasses varies in sweetness and tartness by brand, so adjust the amount to taste.
- Swap the basil for fresh parsley or mint.
- Add diced cucumber for extra crunch.
- Sprinkle with crumbled feta before serving.
- Add more crushed red pepper for extra heat.
- Use a little extra sumac for a brighter, tangier flavor.
- Serve alongside grilled chicken, steak, kebabs, meatballs, or fish. It’s also delicious with warm pita or crusty bread to soak up the tomato juices and pomegranate molasses dressing.
Nutrition:
FROM THE PANTRY
Beefsteak tomatoes
WHY WE LOVE IT
Beefsteak tomatoes are the heavyweights of the summer garden, loved for their massive size and robust, meaty texture.
They hold up beautifully without falling apart, making them perfect for burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
A LITTLE STORY
While these giants originated in South America, the name “beefsteak” first popularized in an 1869 American seed catalog that described them as “solid and meaty as a beefsteak”.
Long before that, when Spanish explorers brought them to Europe, the French were so captivated by their alluring qualities that they nicknamed them pommes d’amour, or “love apples”.
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite their incredible flavor, you rarely see true beefsteak tomatoes in corporate supermarkets because their thin, delicate skin makes them easily bruised by mechanical harvesting equipment.
Botanically, tomatoes are fruits, but legally, there’s a famous twist. In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes should be treated as vegetables for tariff purposes because they were commonly served as part of a meal rather than as dessert.
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