All About the Veg! is a new recipe column where Best of Vegan contributor Seiran Sinjari breaks down one amazing plant at a time. In today’s column, she explores the wonders of heirloom tomatoes and shares her recipe for Vegan Heirloom Tomato Salad.
When it comes to tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes are my favorites. You’ll find them in all kinds of shapes, colors, sizes, textures and often with an extra delicious sweetness. They’re almost too good (and pretty) to cook and I prefer having them raw in summery salads or on some grilled rustic bread with a good drizzle of olive oil. And salt, always a little pinch of salt to bring out that sweetness.
For this week’s recipe we’re making Heirloom Tomato Salad with Strawberries, Fried Almonds & Crispy Pita, dressed with olive oil and pomegranate molasses. Definitely a little inspired by Italian Panzanella salad but still totally different. It’s so simple yet so satisfying for the tastebuds, giving you sweet, savory and tangy, all at once. Strawberries pair really well with the sweetness of the tomatoes but we’re just adding a couple, the tomatoes are still the stars of this dish.
Now get your most colorful and juicy tomatoes ready because here’s the recipe I hope you’ll make and enjoy all summer long!
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed heirloom tomatoes - sliced
- ½ small red onion - sliced
- 1 handful strawberries - quartered
- 1 pita bread
- 50 g blanched almonds
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
- 1 handful micro greens - I’m using coriander here (optional)
- flaky sea salt
- ice water
Top/dress with:
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- a couple of fresh mint leaves
- flaky sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Aleppo pepper flakes - optional and can also be substituted with other mild to medium chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC / 350ºF. Bake pita bread until it turns a bit hard & crispy. Let cool then break/tear into smaller pieces.
- Place the sliced onions in a bowl with ice water and let sit for 15 minutes then drain. This will make the onions less sharp in flavor, we want them mild and nice for this salad.
- Heat oil in a pan and add almonds, fry over medium heat while frequently stirring until they are golden brown, then remove from pan immediately. Be careful as they burn quickly once they get some color. Let excess oil drip off on some paper towel, then mix them with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- On a serving plate, spread out the tomatoes, strawberries, pita and micro greens (if using) in an even layer. Top with the onions, almonds, mint, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper flakes (if using) and drizzle with pomegranate molasses and olive oil.
Notes
Recipe and photography by Seiran Sinjari.
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