Confession time.
I feel a little stupid posting this "recipe" and I am sure a lot of you are thinking "wow, Nancy, an heirloom tomato salad, how original!"
I know - and to be honest, I seriously debated whether or not to post it... but after having it two (ok, three!) days in a row and not growing tired of it, I decided it was worthy of sharing.
So what makes it worth bothering with?
Tomatillos. Have you ever tried them in a salad? I'm betting the answer to that question would be "no!" Sure, you've had them in salsa or in enchilada sauce. But by themselves? Raw?? What??? Well, I hadn't either until recently when it occurred to me that since I love them in salsa I would probably really like them in a salad.
And I didn't just like them. I loved them.
With tomatoes. And yes, the heirlooms are fabulous and would probably taste great no matter what I paired with them. But honestly? This salad is just as good with any homegrown or farmer market fresh tomato - heirloom or not.
But a word of warning - if you don't have access to to that category of tomato this salad will be nothing special. In fact, it will be downright ... blech... so don't go there.
So what makes this little addition to what is, after all, a very common salad, so special? It's the combination of sweet and earthy tomato with the citrusy tang of the tomatillo. Throw in a little marinated red onion for bite and dress simply with some good red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Add a good sprinkling of crunchy salt (Maldon or fleur de sel) and a grind of fresh pepper. If you're feeling indulgent some burrata or avocado wouldn't be amiss.... and speaking from experience both work really well.
And there you have it - a salad that sums up summer for me... and something definitely worth sharing with all of you!!!
Hungry for some other summer salad recipes? You may enjoy...
📖Recipe
Tomatillo and Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 heirloom tomatoes sliced
- 2 to tomatillos sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 1 quarter of a red onion sliced into ⅛th inch slices
- 1 ball burrata cheese or 1 ripe avocado sliced (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon maldon sea salt or fleur de sel
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place onion slices into a small bowl and toss with 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar and a large pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Slice tomatoes ¼ inch thick. Layer onto a medium sized serving platter.
- Place tomatillo slices on top of the tomatoes.
- Add the marinated onion slices.
- Drizzle with remaining red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle with remaining salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Add the burrata cheese or avocado slices if using.
- Serve!
Lindsay says
Simply gorgeous. Love the addition of tomatillos, now I'm kicking myself for not buying any at the market this morning. Next week then. 🙂
Nancy says
Thanks Lindsay! I've been working with the 100mm macro so it's taking some getting used to! Definitely get some tomatillos ... soooo good with heirloom tomatoes!
Cathy | Arkle says
Great idea. I will pick some tomatillo at the Farmer's Market this weekend to try this. I am really loving your recipes!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
This looks spectacular, and I've never eaten raw tomatillos before!
Nancy says
Thanks Sue! I know... I never have either and was really surprised how good they were in the salad!!!