| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A good pinch dried oregano
- Red wine or balsamic vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- 1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped
Instructions
- This is an incredible tomato salad but there are two things to remember if you want to wow your guests with something so simple. The first is that you should try to get a mixture of different, tasty, local (if possible) tomatoes in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Second, the flavor is brought out by salting the tomatoes, so don’t skip this bit. Some people get worried about putting this much salt on their food, but the bulk of it will drip off, leaving you with really beautiful, intensely flavored tomatoes.
- If you can get hold of some dried flowering oregano then do, as it has the most heavenly flavor. Feel free to use the dried stuff that you get in a little container, but it can taste a bit like sawdust when compared to the fruity, fragrant flavor you get from the flowering variety. Oregano is also great to grow in the garden.
- Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that’s really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt.
- Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won’t be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
- Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chile. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.
- This is a fantastic tomato salad, which is totally delicious to eat on its own. It’s also great served with some balls of mozzarella or some nice, grilled ciabatta bread.
- “Our agreement with the producers of “Jamie at Home” only permit us to make 2 recipes per episode available online. Food Network regrets the inconvenience to our viewers and foodnetwork.com users”
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 86 |
| Total Fat | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 632 mg |
Reviews
This recipe really surprised me for the flavor it delivered. What a difference to salt the tomatoes and let them sit/drain for 15 minutes. I was amazed at the sweetness this step brings out from the tomatoes. This step is a keeper. I used only yellow heirloom tomatoes, which are not my favorite because of their delicate taste, but the salting made them incredibly sweet. I used fresh oregano, including the flowering bud from my garden. I’m not a fan of oregano, but its strong pungent flavor was perfect with the tomatoes. Good balsamic vinegar and olive oil is a must. I added cubed mozzarella cheese. This surprisingly simple recipe produces one of the best tomato salad. It’s a keeper.
excellent! beautiful presentation, so delicious and easy my guests raved. It’s a keeper!
Deanna (WI)
I love this recipe. Simple and delicious. The different colors in tomatoes makes it bright and beautiful. The dressing has the perfect balance of deliciousness!Yummmmm!
I love this recipe. Simple and delicious. The different colors in tomatoes makes it bright and beautiful. The dressing has the perfect balance of deliciousness!Yummmmm!
This is my “go-to” for entertaining. It’s a nice alternative to a green salad, colorful and light! I actually prefer using red wine vinegar, white balsamic or rice vinegar. I toss with some fresh basil or cilantro at the end.
This is a great tomato salad! I used fresh oregano and some mozzarella chunks. Lots of compliments!
This is the best tomato salad I’ve ever made! I used dried basil and fresh dill as that was all I had. Another important addition is to use very good olive oil, which really adds to the flavor of this dish. It was super tasty.
How can the basic tomato change flavour with a big A+, by using this method they are totally delicious, I just sprinkle mine with a little balsamic reduction and magic as you pop them in your mouth
This is a great tomato salad. I used tomatoes from my garden both cherry and regular. I have both red and yellow cherry tomatoes and that makes it prettier but the taste is the same. Awesome! I also used fresh oregano and used it as a topping on garlic bread. Everyone who has had some has loved it.
I have made this several times and always love it. Recently I sprinkled roasted sesame seeds over it and two scallions. Had some fresh spinach so through that in two! I tend to use less olive oil and an extra clove of garlic!
Excellent just as is. I used balsamic vinegar and a good olive oil. Agree the salting and draining is an important step you don’t want to skip. Plan to use the left overs with lettuce and cucumbers tomorrow night.