Best Heirloom Tomato Salad

Heirloom Tomato Salad is one of the BEST summer salads! Juicy ripe tomatoes covered in fresh garlic oil, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, sherry vinegar and drizzled with hot honey!

Yes please! I will eat this all summer long. Not only is this salad super fresh and super flavorful, it comes together in just 20 minutes.

It’s a quick summer salad to make then all you have to do is let it marinate for about 30 minutes. If you’re impatient you can eat it right away but it tastes even better after the flavors meld.

I love growing tomatoes in my garden in the summer. They’re one of the few things I can actually keep alive long enough to harvest.

Something about fresh tomatoes out of a garden just screams summer to me. It reminds me of growing up.

I love the smell of tomato plants! Call me crazy, I’m a big “smeller”. I smell everything before I use it even if it’s an ingredient I’ve used a million times.

It helps you know the flavor and how much to use.

So if you have a bunch of garden tomatoes this summer be sure to try out the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad. It’s one the whole family will love!

It’s always a huge hit at home and at parties. Heirloom Tomato Salad is the best for backyard BBQ’s, summer parties, weeknight dinners and get togethers.

It’s only got a few fresh and simple ingredients that are easily found in the garden or at the grocery store and comes together in a flash.

If you love tomatoes then you’ll love my Easy No Mayo Tomato Pie & Heirloom Tomato Galette!

What is an Heirloom Tomato?

You’ve probably heard of heirloom tomatoes, maybe even seen them but do you know what they are? An heirloom tomato usually has an odd shape, not perfectly round and some pretty interesting colors.

They can be red, green, yellow, a deep dark green almost black looking color. Or any mix of those together.

The reason they look like that is because they are a natural, non-modified tomato that’s seeds have been passed down for decades. Over 40 years.

Farmers keep the seeds from the best plants they grew the tastiest, best textured tomatoes. Then replanted them again and again.

The tomatoes you see in the grocery store are often uniform in shape and color. Likely because they have been genetically modified to look a certain way.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they taste good.

I love the shape, size and texture of heirloom tomatoes! So interesting looking.

You have to be careful when buying heirloom tomatoes from the store though because “heirloom” is an unregulated word. Meaning brands can throw that in the title of their genetically modified tomatoes as a selling point and no one is checking.

The best spot to buy heirloom tomatoes is the farmers market. They tend to be from smaller local farms and your free to ask the farmers any questions about them you’d like.

Ingredients for the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad

• Heirloom Tomatoes – Buy them from the farmers market if you can.
• Fresh Mozzarella – Fresh mozzarella has a mild taste and soft texture.
• Fresh Basil – Fresh basil is such a tasty summer ingredient and goes so well with tomatoes.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is a must with this salad.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Use your favorite extra virgin olive oil in this Heirloom Tomato Salad.
• Kosher Salt – Salt helps bring out the flavor of the ingredients and is amazing with the tomatoes.
• Black Pepper – I prefer coarse ground black pepper.
• Crushed Red Pepper – For a little extra spice!
• Sherry Vinegar – I use an aged sherry vinegar that I can find at my local grocery store.
• Hot Honey – Don’t skip the hot honey! It really makes this the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad!

Equipment needed

• Sauté Pan – You’ll need a medium sized sauté pan to make the garlic oil.
• Sharp Knife – Use a sharp knife to slice ingredients.
• Cutting Board – A plastic cutting board or a wooden cutting board is best. Larger sized cutting boards make working in the kitchen a lot easier. You have plenty of space and don’t have to worry about your ingredients falling off the board.
• Large Bowl – Toss the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad in a large mixing bowl or on a large platter.

Tips for the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad

• Use the freshest tomatoes you can find. Get them from your garden or the farmers market if possible!
• This Heirloom Tomato Salad is best if you let it marinate for about 30 minutes before serving.
• Don’t skip the hot honey!
• Don’t skip the salt (unless you have to), it adds so much flavor!
• Bring this Heirloom Tomato Salad recipe to your cookouts, parties and BBQ’s all summer long.
• If you cant find heirloom tomatoes then use vine ripened or whatever the freshest tomato you can find is.
• Try to only make as much as you need. This salad only stays good for about 24 hours before it starts to get soggy.
• Fresh basil is a must for this salad. Dried basil isn’t the same.
• Slice your garlic as thin as you can get it. You’ll need a very sharp knife for this.
• Do not turn the heat up over low-medium heat. You don’t want the garlic to burn and extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point. I typically don’t heat extra virgin olive oil at all or very little.

What to serve with Heirloom Tomato Salad

• Air Fryer Ribeye Steak
• Mac and Cheese with Herbed Bread Crumbs
• Bone In Ribeye
• Marinated Flank Steak Sandwich

Optional add-ins

• Red Onion
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Tarragon
• Dried Oregano
• Feta
• Goat Cheese
• Balsamic Glaze

How to store the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad

Heirloom Tomato Salad is best eaten the same day you make it. If you have leftovers then you can store them in the fridge for about 24 hours.

Anything after that the salad starts to become soggy.

Wrap the Heirloom Tomato Salad tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.

How to make the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad

This easy salad comes together so quickly! That’s why it’s perfect for weeknight dinners.

Heat a medium skillet over low-medium heat with the extra virgin olive oil and sliced garlic. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes.

Garlic will become fragrant and start to turn just slightly golden brown. Remove from the heat immediately. Stir in a pinch of salt then let the oil cool.

Mix the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar and cooled garlic oil together in a large bowl. Be very gentle when mixing so you don’t tear the tomatoes apart.

Transfer the tomato mix to a serving bowl or platter then sprinkle with crushed red pepper and drizzle with hot honey.

Let the flavors marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

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FAQ

What is an Heirloom Tomato Salad?

An Heirloom Tomato Salad is a salad that consists of heirloom tomatoes and often herbs, seasonings, olive oil, vinegar and other various ingredients.

It is a cold salad that is served generally in the summer months when heirloom tomatoes are in season.

What is so special about heirloom tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds that have been passed down over decades, typically over 40 years from the same plant. These plants have not been genetically modified.

Instead, the farmer has continued using these specific seeds because of the natural wonderful traits of that specific plant.

Heirloom tomatoes are often irregular shapes with large ridges and beautiful colors ranging from red to yellow to green to a deep green almost black color.

How do heirloom tomatoes taste?

The taste of an heirloom tomato can widely range depending on where it comes from. Generally speaking if an heirloom tomato is an actual heirloom tomato, meaning it’s not just being marketed as one, it will have a deep tomato flavor that is sweet and juicy.

Similar to a super ripe tomato picked fresh out of your garden that’s bursting with tomato flavor. Unfortunately some companies market their tomatoes as “heirloom” when they’re not.

The best way to avoid buying one of those is to try to get your heirloom tomatoes at a farmers market.

How long does it take to make the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad?

It only takes about 20 minutes to make the Best Heirloom Tomato Salad. It’s best the let the Heirloom Tomato Salad marinate for about 30 minutes after being made so the flavors can meld.

As far as actual work, the salad is ready to go in under 20 minutes. This makes it perfect for weeknight dinners as well as summer BBQ’s and parties.