Tomato Basil Salad

This tomato basil salad is the easiest and tastiest Whole30 summer vegetable side dish you can throw together in a snap—but only if you use the best tomatoes you can find!

Whenever I throw together a simple recipe, I’d like to think I’m channeling Alice Waters, but in all honesty, I’m way more Paula Deen.

Sigh.

Use the freshest tomatoes you can find!

That being said, this dish will taste awful if you’ve got crappy, mealy, unripe tomatoes: you can only go simple if you’ve got kickass quality ingredients.

Time to make Tomato Basil Salad!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 4 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
•  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Method:

Place the sliced shallots in a small ramekin and cover with your favorite aged balsamic for at least 15 minutes to mellow their bite.

Plate the sliced tomatoes with the marinated shallots and vinegar, a splash of olive oil, a sprinkle of fleur de sel, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, and basil chiffonade.

That’s it! Make this delicious salad before summer is over!

Originally posted on 8/31/11. Updated on 5/15/19.

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Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

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