Tomato Salad or Salade de Tomates Recipe

One simple food pleasure is an easy avocado and tomato salad recipe. Great as a side dish for two or a big salad for one. Keep it simple and let the flavors or the tomatoes and avocado sprinkled with balsamic make your taste buds happy.

Salade de Tomates is the french term for Tomato Salad.

Ingredients

• Ripe Tomatoes - the star of the show so make sure they are ripe and juicy
• Avocado - the avocado should be just soft enough to give a little when squeezed.
• Balsamic Vinegar - use the good stuff if you have it
• Lemon Juice - always fresh squeezed
• Olive Oil - use an extra virgin olive oil
• Basil - fresh basil is preferred but dried works.
• Salt and Pepper - freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

Recipe Modifications

This tomato salad can be modified by adding cold pasta and chicken for a complete light summer meal. Or to keep with a vegetarian theme add a few slices of cucumbers and red onion for a classic salade de tomates.

Add canned tuna and serve with some homemade Crostini.

The combination of tomato and avocado goes together like peas and carrots. 🙂

How to pick a ripe Tomato.

Tomatoes ripen from the inside out, a good indication of ripeness is if it gives slightly to the touch.

A ripe tomato will also feel heavy and have smooth skin. If purchasing greenhouse-grown tomatoes the leaves should be fresh and green. A ripe tomato will give off a fresh tomato fragrance, while an unripe tomato will not have much smell at all.

For more information on tomatoes check out this post on Tomatoes on the Gardening Know How Blog.

How to pick a ripe Avocado.

The easiest way to find a ripe avocado is to apply gentle pressure,  if it gives a little the avocado is ripe and ready-to-eat. The avocado will feel soft, but not mushy.  Ready to eat avocados may have also appear a little darker in color but you should go more on feel than color.   

More information on how to Pick a Ripe Avocado on the California Avocado Blog.

How should you store tomatoes?

I try to only buy perfectly ripe tomatoes and store in the refrigerator, don’t get angry, but I do put my tomatoes in the fridge.  I store in the warmest part of the refrigerator.

At room temperature, the tomatoes will continue to ripen, so I don’t advise refrigeration for those tomatoes that still have a way to go before they reach peak ripeness.

What is the best tomato to use for salad?

The best tomatoes are usually the ones you grow in your garden, but that’s not always possible. If I had to pick which store bought tomatoes it would need to be the Heirlooms, Cherry, or Campari’s.

How long will tomato salad stay fresh?

He salad is best the same day it’s made, but you can easily cover a bowl with plastic wrap and store overnight.   Cut avocados and the basil will start to turn brown but will taste just fine.

If you like the Summer tomato salad you might also enjoy my Spring Tomato & Basil Pasta Salad

Visit A Weekend Cooks Small Kitchen Store for great recommendations on the best products to use when cooking in your small kitchen and whipping up recipes for two.