Summer brings about some of the tastiest produce of the year. Some of it is so good you don’t need to add much to it to create a dish literally bursting at the seams with flavour. As is the case with this Simply Divine Summer Tomato Salad. A salad like this only needs a few simple add-ins to create a dish that is perfect served by itself or with a lovely bread roll.
Tomatoes.
As you can see I have used a variety of tomatoes in this summer tomato salad not just for colour but flavour too. Big juicy red tomatoes are the base of this salad. While sweet they are not super sweet like the yellow and orange small tomatoes I used. Which are super sweet, and pop with flavour in your mouth.
Summer is always the best time for tomatoes. The amount of different varieties available in the shops is amazing. Heirloom tomatoes are also available in the shops and work great in this summer tomato salad. Try to use tomatoes that are in season as their flavour is so much better than forced ones. Trust me when I tell you there is a huge difference in flavour.
Add-ins.
As I mentioned before there is very little added to this summer tomato salad. There really doesn’t need to be. The tomatoes bring most of the flavour to this dish. But there are a few things added to enhance and deepen the overall taste and texture of this salad.
Firstly we have a few spring onions (scallions for my American friends) and we have a sprinkling of fresh mint leaves. Both of these are fresh zingy flavours packing a subtle punch. Then we have the dressing which is a simple mix of extra virgin olive oil. Cider vinegar and the Middle Eastern spice Sumac and a touch of garlic. Because, why not? Garlic makes almost everything better.
If you feel you need a little more substance you could always sprinkle a few nuts or seeds over the top of this salad to give it more crunch. But I find just serving it with a fresh warm crusty roll does the trick perfectly. After all you don’t want to waste that dressing.
Simply Divine Summer Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 large vine ripened tomatoes
- 6 cherry yellow tomatoes
- 6 baby plum tomatoes
- 6 small orange tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sumac
- A pinch salt and black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 60 milliliters extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 2 spring onions – sliced
- 1 large sprig of fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Slice the large tomatoes and arrange them on a large dinner plate.
- Half all the small tomatoes and scatter them over your tomato slices.
- In a small bowl mix the sumac, salt and pepper, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil and the cider vinegar together and then pour it all over the tomatoes.
- Slice the spring onions thinly and sprinkle them on top of the salad and garish with the mint leaves.
- Best served immediately but will keep covered in the fridge for two days.
Notes
- The types of tomato are interchangeable, use your favourites and those that are seasonal for best flavour.
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Sumac is one of our favorite spices.
keep it up!!!!
Thanks, Jack.
I just love the colours! We’re still getting loads of tomatoes through our CSA here and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed on how to use them all up. I tried this yesterday (using a slightly different variety of tomatoes) and the addition of the sumac was delicious!
Hi Shauna, sumac takes this dish over the edge! Glad you liked it 🙂
This is beautiful. I’ve never heard of plumb tomatoes. I only have a few varieties growing – I mostly grow cherry or grape because it’s so hot here that the big ones tend to split before maturity. I love sumac but forget to use it often. Great idea!
Thanks, Mimi, I often forget about sumac too but it is definitely one of my favourite spices.
I totally agree – I love simple summer dishes that let the produce shine through! This looks wonderful.
Thank you, Ashley, sometimes simple is definitely the way to go.
We’re at peak tomato at the moment! This is the perfect salad for August — thanks!
Thanks, John. Tomatoes are definitely at their best right now and perfect for salads.
Emma, such a gorgeous salad! I can’t get enough tomatoes during the summer! No better way to enjoy them than this beautiful salad!
Thank you Kelly 🙂 Tomatoes in summer are the best and I enjoy them all the time.
I can’t wait til summer rolls around here! Just another week or so of winter (hopefully!) 😀
I understand that feeling, Lorraine. Winter is not far off on this side of the globe and I can’t say I am looking forward to it!
There is literally nothing better than a tomato salad this time of year when the tomatoes are so sweet! I love this!
Thanks, Balvinder. Summer tomatoes are definitely something special.
Summer tomatoes are the best! Your salad looks absolutely perfect! We are so lucky here in Tucson that our tomato season is so long due to all the regional microclimates. For me, the simpler the better – just some really good extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper!
I couldn’t agree more, sometimes keeping it simple is definitely the best way to go.
Sumac is one of our favorite spices. Bold and bright and perfect for the fresh delicious harvest of tomatoes. Delicious salad.
Sumac is an amazing spice and definitely one of my favourites.
Truly a very beautiful and tasty salad!
Thank you, Angie 🙂