In my Summer Dinners e-book, I mention that throughout the summer, we regularly indulge in a big tomato basil salad with a generous dose of olive oil vinaigrette. It’s a great, simple side or appetizer and if you dress it up slightly, an ideal light lunch. Depending on our mood and the harvest, I will add some feta/goat cheese, olives and whatever summery fruit we’ve got on hand – in this case, blackberries, which provide just the right amount of sweetness and acidity. The great thing about tomato salad is that when you mix in the dressing and let it sit for 15 minutes, all the juices of the fruit come out, making it a great candidate for bread mopping. To avoid eating a whole baguette, I like serving it on good quality sourdough toast. When you scoop the salad on top, all the juices permeate the bread and make it the perfect quick bright, and healthy lunch. Have it with parma ham, some white beans, or whatever protein you like on the side (or on top).
Ingredients
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 5-6 leaves of basil, chopped
- a dozen black olives, pitted
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
- Add the tomatoes, basil, olives and blackberries. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve (no more than 2 hours).
- Toss the salad lightly. Place a slice of bread on each plate along with a scoop of salad and a few tbsp of vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
