Perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, fresh basil, tossed in extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, Topped with vegan feta! Sounds like the perfect summer salad to me.
Calling all tomato lovers to the stage! It's summertime and the tomatoes are at peak and there is no better time to indulge in them. The varieties are endless. You can find them all in just about any grocery store. I'm talking Roma. Cherry, Grape, Campari, On the Vine, Kumatto, Beef Steak, you name it. They are EVERYWHERE right now. There are so many great tomato varieties that it can be overwhelming but todays star is one of my favorites...HEIRLOOM. I absolutely love Heirloom tomatoes. Everything from their gnarly shapes and crazy colors to their remarkably sweetness in flavor. They are truly a special tomato and they were absolutely perfect in this salad. This Heirloom tomato salad is the perfect side item to just about any meal. It would be dynamite along side a pasta dish like my Pasta with Asparagus Lemon & Peas or Vegan Eggplant & Fennel Baked Ziti.
So what's so special about Heirloom tomatoes
Heirloom tomatoes are super special and loved by gardeners. They are one of the few non hybrid tomatoes available. The seeds make them particularly special because they are passed down from season to season making sure that only the most desirable seeds are used. They are also loved for their amazing flavor. Unlike conventional tomatoes Heirloom tomatoes have a shorter shelf life which means that they have a much faster farm to shelf time. You will also notice that Heirloom tomatoes come in a variety of colors and shapes. You will see small ones, huge ones and little tiny ones. The colors will range from bright red, purple, yellow, orange, green, brown and mixture of colors.
How to pick your tomatoes
Picking tomatoes is definitely a super hands on job. You want to make sure they are smooth and free from bruises or scratches. You also want to make sure they are firm, not hard, but firm. If you find that the store only has tomatoes that are super firm and unripe you can buy them and put them in a paper bag and keep them on your counter for a day or two. This will help them ripen and get juicy. In regards to this salad you will want to get around 3-1/2 lbs. The size, colors and shapes don't matter so much.
Making the salad
Making the salad is super simple. All you need to do is slice the tomatoes into bite friendly size wedges. Then toss them with the thinly sliced red onions and basil, then drizzle them with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar salt, pepper, dried oregano and vegan feta. I love the Just Like Feta by Violife Foods. It's super creamy and tangy. In my opinion it has a very mild goat cheese like flavor but I think that's what I like most about it. I've used it in my The Best Vegan Baked Feta & Tomato Pasta recipe and in my The Tastiest Vegan Greek Salad recipe and got rave reviews from my family and friends.
The do's and don't's
Don't make it ahead of time - This is not something that you can make ahead of time. If you attempt to make it ahead of time you will find that it gets super watery and soggy.
Do add the salt last - Salt will draw out moisture and make the salad watery. So add it last.
Do serve immediately - This is one of those dishes that needs to be eaten soon after it's made so time your preparation wisely.
Making the salad is super simple and easy! Just add the tomatoes, onions and basil to a large bowl.
Add the dressing and toss to combine. Top with the vegan feta and serve immediately.
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