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+ servings
easy heirloom tomato salad in a bowl with a serving spoon

Best Heirloom Tomato Salad

Krista Stechman
Juicy ripe heirloom tomatoes combined with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and marinated in garlic oil, aged sherry vinegar and hot honey. This is the ultimate summer salad! Great for weeknight dinners, summer picnics, BBQ's and parties.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course sides
Cuisine american, italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 333 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 medium skillet
  • 1 sharp knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 large bowl

Ingredients
  

Garlic Oil

  • 7 cloves garlic sliced ultra thin
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Heirloom Tomato Salad

  • 4 heirloom tomatoes sliced
  • 16 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
  • ¾ oz fresh basil about 1 cup, stemmed
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon hot honey
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Instructions
 

Making the Garlic Oil

  • Heat the olive oil and sliced garlic in a medium skillet over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until garlic just starts to turn golden brown
  • Remove from the heat and set to the side to cool

Making the Heirloom Tomato Salad

  • Gently toss the heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, pepper, cooled garlic oil and sherry vinegar in a bowl to coat. Be very gentle so that you don't break the tomatoes
  • Transfer tomato mixture to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and drizzle with hot honey
  • Let tomato salad marinate for about 30 minutes before serving

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 18gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 1069mgPotassium: 287mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1407IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 405mgIron: 1mg
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