Heirloom Tomato Salad

One of the things I love most about this season is the abundance of beautiful, ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor, and heirlooms practically levitate above all others! In this simple but elegant Heirloom Tomato Salad, their fragrant, sweet, and tangy flavors shine. Keep it simple with just one or two varieties or create a colorful medley if you can find an assortment. With unusual shapes and colors ranging from bright red to yellow, orange, brown, and green, this salad is as visually stunning as it is delicious.

Fresh salads and summer go hand-in-hand, but many involve a lot of chopping and prepping — not this one! This luscious salad is straightforward and fast. In just 15 minutes, you can have sliced ripe heirloom tomatoes coated in garlic-steeped red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and flaky sea salt, ready for dinner party guests or loved ones to enjoy. I love bringing home a bag of these beauties from a farmers’ market or the supermarket; their juicy, sweet tanginess pairs perfectly with the vinegar’s robust acidity in this recipe. It’s a versatile dish that goes with just about anything you’re making for a fabulous, fresh summer meal.

Ingredients for Heirloom Tomato Salad

• Fresh Garlic Cloves: Get the freshest, plumpest heads you can find.
• Fine Sea Salt: I like to use fine sea salt because it dissolves quickly in the vinegar.
• Red Wine Vinegar: It’s worth using a quality brand since it’s such a prominent element in the dressing. Cheaper brands often don’t have much flavor and can be very acidic.
• Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes: Ideally, get a mix of red, orange, green and yellow tomatoes, but if you can only find one style, that works too.
• Extra-virgin Olive Oil: Since olive oil is essential to balancing the flavors in this recipe, you’ll want a high-quality, fresh one.
• Fresh Basil Leaves: Basil doesn’t last long, so try to buy (or pick if you grow your own) it just before you use it. Look for vibrant green leaves free of dark spots or wilting.
• Flaky Sea Salt: I like to use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.

I adapted this recipe from “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan – a cookbook that every home cook who enjoys Italian food should own. I made a couple of changes from her original recipe: Instead of crushing the whole garlic cloves to infuse the vinegar, I coarsely chopped them to speed things up. She also peels the tomatoes, but I left the skins intact for ease — and I like how the skins provide a pleasant, mildly firm texture to the dish.

What Are Heirloom Tomatoes?

What makes heirloom tomatoes so distinctive is that, unlike mass-produced standard varieties, heirlooms are open-pollinated, meaning natural pollinators like birds, bees, wind and other insects do the fertilizing. Originally, the seeds were passed down through generations, almost like heirloom furniture or jewelry, and date back to plants from the 1940s. The lack of selective breeding explains those odd shapes and array of colors!

Recipe Options

• Add cheese: For a creamy contrast, try torn burrata, fresh mozzarella, crumbled feta, or goat cheese.
• Try Different Vinegars: Experiment with different vinegars like balsamic for a deeper flavor or Champagne vinegar for a lighter tang.
• Make it a meal: Serve with crusty bread and anything off the grill for a simple, satisfying dinner.
• Use cherry tomatoes: Heirloom cherry tomatoes make a fun, bite-sized version of this salad.
• Switch up the herbs: Fresh oregano or mint can replace basil for a different aromatic profile.

When I see a pile of funky-shaped, gloriously colored heirloom tomatoes at a farmers market or in the produce section, I know right away summer is in full swing — and it’s time to make this recipe. A rare trifecta of simplicity, robust flavors and stunning appearance, it’s the perfect accompaniment for any summer meal.

How to Make Heirloom Tomato Salad

Steep vinegar with salt and fresh garlic for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice tomatoes into thin wedges.

Arrange tomato wedges on a serving platter, then strain infused vinegar evenly over and drizzle generously with olive oil. Finish with fresh basil leaves and flaky salt, then enjoy right away!