Fresh Garden Tomato Salad (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Salad
01 -
900 g fresh garden tomatoes, preferably heirloom, chopped
02 -
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
03 -
2–4 garlic cloves, finely minced
04 -
A few fresh basil leaves, torn or julienned
05 -
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
06 -
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Toasted Croutons (optional)
07 -
400 g crusty loaf bread, such as ciabatta, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
08 -
60 ml olive oil
# Instructions:
01 -
Chop the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl.
02 -
Add the extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and fresh basil to the bowl with tomatoes. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
03 -
Gently toss all salad ingredients to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld and the tomato juices are released.
04 -
Taste and adjust the salt or olive oil as desired.
05 -
Preheat oven to 180°C. Drizzle bread cubes with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Spread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, toss, then continue baking until golden and crisp. Allow to cool before using.
06 -
Serve the salad with fresh crusty bread or scatter with toasted croutons. Spoon up or soak the flavorful tomato juices with the bread.
# Notes:
01 -
For best flavor, use tomatoes at their peak ripeness. Any tomato variety can be used as long as it's fresh. The bread is excellent for soaking up the salad juices.