You will love this simple tomato salad which celebrates different varieties of tomato with its rich and tasty tomato salad dressing. It is perfect for lunch on a hot summer day.
Tomatoes are now coming into season and what better way to eat them with a simple tomato salad with a tomato dressing? Tomatoes are best enjoyed picked fresh from the plant when they are still warm and sun drenched. In the summer Ed and I eat bowls of ripe cherry tomatoes like sweets, there are far worse snacking habits to have, and we enjoy them as much as we can during the season.
If you can possibly avoid it, never put tomatoes in the fridge, it will rob them of both their flavour and fragrance. and even when they are back to room temperature it never fully returns.
One of my favourite ways to eat tomatoes (part from snacking on cherry tomatoes), is in a sandwich – thin slices of well buttered white bread, sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt. Perfection, but not terribly transportable, or suitable to prep ahead. My second choice is this tomato salad, with a rich tomato dressing, which is suitable for picnics and packed lunches. Slice the tomatoes and prepare the dressing a few hours in advance, and then mix when you are read to eat. Use as many different types of tomatoes as you can, variety is the spice of life after all!
- For the Salad
- 2 types of perfectly ripe fresh tomatoes – sliced
- Fresh herbs – I use basil - but oregano works well
- Salt & pepper
- For the dressing
- A couple of very ripe red tomatoes
- Couple sun dried tomatoes
- Glug of olive oil - or oil from the sun dried tomatoes
- clove Small of garlic
- Salt & pepper to taste
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Put all ingredients for the dressing into a jug and blitz with a stick blender, or whizz in the small bowl of the food processor.
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Slice and arrange the tomatoes on a plate, season then scatter a few fresh herbs over.
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To serve pour the dressing over the sliced tomatoes.
We enjoyed our tomato salad with fresh tomato dressing with some products from Higgidy, which are perfect for picnics, or causal al fresco dining with friends or family. We’ve enjoyed their pies in the winter, and were impressed by the summer products, which are good both cold, or reheated and are mainly vegetarian as well as much lighter than the winter products.
The Little Mushroom, Feta & Spinach Pie was topped with an oat and flax crust and generously filled, Feta & Red Pepper rolls has a lovely tomato crumb on the flaky puff pasty and were generously filled as well as an excellent size for a snack. The Spinach, Feta & Roasted Red Pepper Quiche, has a seeded base and a generous filling, and would serve 6 with lots of sides, or 4 with a salad for a light lunch. We heartily approve that the company uses free range eggs and good quality ingredients.
Pop over to Higgidy to see the full range, with excellent feedback from their seeming legions of fans, and for a simple recipe to accompany each product. Available from most supermarkets, but the range varies depending where you shop. Prices range from around £2.70 – £4.20.
Look out for promotional stickers on the Higgidy packets too and you could win some picnic sets from Joules.
If you like tomato salads you may also like:-
- Camilla’s tomato, red onion and coriander salad
- Helen’s garden tomato salad
- Diana’s tomato and dill salad
Recipe for Three Tomato Salad with Tomato Salad Dressing commissioned by Higgidy, who also sent us some pies for review. All opinions our own.
Looks yum, and nice photo!
Some serious drool happening here. Thanks for sharing. Nova Scotia is a little late with tomatoes, but I am starting to see them at the market. This is one salad I’ll be trying soon.
Your tomato salad looks terrific. I live in the US in the South, so we are definitely partial to our tomatoes. Until recently, I grew up to 33 different varieties of heirlooms and do really miss having them. Grandchildren took priority over garden, so it’s not a huge sacrifice:) I’m enjoying reading your blog and will be back. Thanks for sharing. I would love for you to join me at diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com for Crock Pot Wednesday.
That looks delicious. So colourful too :o)
cj x
what a gorgeous array of toms! Such vibrant colours too
I love anything with tomatoes in, and this looks like a great way to use up all the tomatoes we will have in our garden in a few months,
lots of salads and then lots of chutney for your tomato glut.
Oh, I’ve never heard of Higgidy. Need to try this brand soon!
Also, nothing like a good tomato salad. I enjoy eating mine as a side to rice and beans and a protein, the Brazilian way! ;-)
As for the storage of tomatoes, I was just reading an article by Daniel Gritzer from Serious Eats, saying that this rule only applies if your room temperature is under 70F, as the ideal storage temperature for tomatoes is between 50 to 70 degrees. Since it’s almost 100 here in NY, my tomatoes are in the fridge. Otherwise I will be tossing them in a day or so!
That is really interesting about the temperature to store them at. Mine often come chilled with my supermarket delivery. So annoying.
Lovely bright pics. I’m waiting on my tomato plants to get me some fresh tomatoes soon. Cant wait.
I wish we had a garden and could grow some.
I could eat that whole plate of tomato salad and dressing! I love the simplicity of this dish – can’t wait to try it! PS: The Higgidy products look/sound yummy – I’ll have to look for them at my local grocery store.
Thanks Holly, I love that tomato dressing.
I’d never thought to make a salad just with tomatoes – but it looks absolutely wonderful!
It is the perfect salad with the tomatoes and the dressing.
What a perfect summer brunch! Love those little quiches!
The Higgidy products were so good.
I do love Higgidy Pies, always a treat! Your Tomato Salad looks fabulous and you are right about serving at room temperature, only wish I had green fingers and could grow my own. Thanks for linking to my tomato salad:-)
Higgidy are amazingly good. Always a treat!
Totally agree, better not to refrigerate and a salad with multiple varieties is such a beautiful thing. Love the extra tomato flavours in the dressing too.
It really annoys me when the supermarket delivers chilled tomatoes
Tomatoes are a favourite of mine, my parents grown dozens and come September laden me with a big load of juicy home grown ones.
The Higgidy snacks are great too aren’t they!?
I wish I had space to grow my own.
Not familiar with Higgidy products but they look fab. Would love to try them out too. As for the tomato dressing, will keep this mind the next time we have a garden party :)
The Higgidy products will be perfect too.
I love tomatoes, and this salad looks so good. Just perfect for a hot summer day.
Ideal, and so tomatoey. .
I just love the Higgidy range – always so delicious. And i never knew that you shouldn’t keep tomatoes in the fridge -great tip!
We often have a Higgidy pie as a treat in the winter when I want an evening off cooking.
I love the Higgidy little vegetable rolls, they are perfect as part of a light lunch. Great recipe – thank you!
They are fabulous aren’t they?
That mushroom, feta and spinach pie looks absolutely delicious! A perfect summer lunch option with the tomato salad.
It was perfect. And equally good cold or reheated.
Fresh tomatoes are one of the joys of summer aren’t they!
I love fresh tomatoes, warms and freshly picked from the plant.
All I seem to be eating right now is tomatoes, so this is perfect timing, add a bit of Mozzarella and I am happy x
Of that would be even better! Or a lovely fresh burrata
I love tomato salads and make these every now and again but never thought to use tomato dressing. This looks delicious
The tomato dressing is amazing.
I didn’t know you shouldn’t put tomatoes in the fridge – thanks for the tip. The salad looks delicious and a perfect accompanyment to the quiche
Never put them in the fridge, it robs them of all the flavour.
I am a fan of tomatoes and this tomato salad with tomato dressing looks so delicious yum!
It is favourite and perfect for using up a glut.
This looks delicious, we are big fans of Higgidy in our house x
I just got half of one of their quiches out of the freezer for supper!
I do love Higgidy pies, and the simple recipe with the tomatoes. Looks delicious.
Higgidy are just the best.
Those tomatoes look so delicious! Long live summer produce!
it is my favourite way to eat tomatoes.