Tomato Avocado Salad
This is one of my favorite summer salads! Tomatoes always taste the best when they are ripe and in season. If you don’t have your own garden, just make a trip to your local farmers market or grocery store. I use heirloom tomatoes because their juicy sweetness literally makes the dressing. When my youngest daughter still lived at home, I always had to make two different versions of this salad. Since her relationship to the taste and texture of avocados is quite questionable in general, her serving had to be avo-free. So yes, you can make this, or part of it, without avocado as well! In my opinion you’re totally missing out but that’s also what my daughter said about her avo-free version. Enjoy either way!
Ingredients: (for about 6 servings)
- 2½ lb (about 1200 g) heirloom or other flavorful tomatoes, diced
- 1 small sweet onion (about ½ cup), finely diced
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tsp Celtic sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ – 1 Tbsp maple syrup, depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes
Preparation:
Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and toss until well combined. Let the salad sit at room temperature for about one hour. Toss again before serving. If you prefer it chilled, put it in the fridge. It’s more flavorful though at room temperature.
Season to taste right before serving, garnish with more basil, and enjoy!
Notes:
- Tastes best the first day!
- If you don’t expect a full table, just cut the recipe in half.
- For a spicy twist, add sliced jalapeño.
- If you are not a fan of avocados, just omit them or add a cup of diced cucumbers instead.
