Our tomato feta salad with honey mustard lime vinaigrette is a true showstopper. It combines peak-season tomatoes, fresh basil, a simple homemade dressing, and the surprising, creamy texture of grated feta for a truly standout dish.

As proven by all our tomato recipes, we’re obsessed and especially get excited during the summer when tomatoes are in full season. This recipe is a fun twist on classic tomato salad. We keep the tomatoes and basil but go rogue with the dressing and make a zesty honey mustard lime vinaigrette, which works beautifully with the tomatoes and feta cheese.

The secret to this salad is to use the large holes on your box grater and grate the feta over the tomatoes on your plate. The thin gratings of feta melt in your mouth with each bite of tomato. We can all thank Chef Richard for the tip, and you can be sure that I’ll be grating my feta over salads from now on. For more salad recipes like this one, see our Greek salad with tomato, cucumber, and feta or this watermelon feta salad.

Key Ingredients

• Tomatoes: Choose slicer or juicy heirloom tomatoes for this salad. You’ll slice them into rounds before drizzling with the vinaigrette. When shopping for tomatoes, you want them to feel heavy for their size and really smell like a tomato (if you take a sniff and they don’t smell like anything, the tomato won’t taste that great). For a salad calling for cherry tomatoes, see this cherry tomato salad (which also has feta).
• Basil and Onion: Sweet Italian basil is lovely, or substitute Thai basil or purple basil (really pretty!). Then, for the onion, use a sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, if you can get your hands on one.
• Feta: Use block feta cheese sold in brine. You’ll grate the feta over your salad using a box grater. This shreds it into thin strips, letting you enjoy its salty, briny kick with every bite. If you don’t have a box grater, you can crumble the cheese instead.
• Honey Mustard Lime Vinaigrette: You can make the vinaigrette in a bowl with a whisk or shake it all together in a glass jar. It combines fresh lime juice (from 1 lime), honey (maple syrup is a good substitute), salt, cumin, Dijon mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Easy Tomato Feta Salad

• PREP
  10 mins
  
• TOTAL
  10 mins
  

When tomatoes are in season, I’m all about enjoying them in every way possible. This tomato feta salad is a standout, especially when made with our honey mustard lime vinaigrette. It’s particularly perfect for larger tomatoes like heirlooms. The secret? We use a box grater to thinly shave the feta directly over the salad. This makes the feta so delicate it practically melts in your mouth with each bite of tomato. I highly recommend it! No problem if you don’t have a box grater. Crumbling the feta works beautifully, too. For another recipe with tomatoes and feta, see our cherry tomato salad or this authentic Greek salad!

2 large servings or 4 small salads

You Will Need

3 medium heirloom tomatoes, about 1 pound

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, preferably sweet onion

2 ounces block feta cheese

14 basil leaves, torn

1 lime, juiced, about 2 tablespoons

1 ½ tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Maldon flaky sea salt, as needed

Directions

1Make the lime vinaigrette: Combine the juice of lime juice, honey, salt, cumin, Dijon mustard, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Whisk well until emulsified (or add to a glass jar, close the lid, and shake until emulsified).

2Add the onions: Drop the sliced onions into the vinaigrette and mix well. (This will tone down the raw flavor of the onion a bit).

3Prepare the tomato salad: Slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds and lay them on a large platter or plate. Spoon some of the vinaigrette and onions over the tomatoes and sprinkle with a pinch or two of flaky sea salt (like Maldon). Scatter the basil over the tomatoes. Then, grate the feta cheese over the top using the large holes of a box grater or crumble it with your fingers. Serve.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Storing: Tomato salad is best eaten on the same day (at room temperature), but you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
• The nutrition facts are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 small side salad (4 total)
/
Calories
154
/
Total Fat
10.3g
/
Saturated Fat
3.2g
/
Cholesterol
12.6mg
/
Sodium
354mg
/
Carbohydrate
14.2g
/
Dietary Fiber
1.8g
/
Total Sugars
11.1g
/
Protein
3.4g

AUTHOR:

Joanne Gallagher

Previous Post: Easy Blueberry Scones
Next Post: Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Source link

This bruschetta recipe is hands down my favorite recipe to make in the summer when tomatoes are at their best and it comes together in minutes!

I can’t tell you how often we’ve made this recipe! Like so many incredible Italian dishes, it calls for fresh, high-quality ingredients and very little fuss.

This homemade bruschetta is one of my most made appetizer recipes. For more like this, see our Caprese salad or antipasto salad!

Key Ingredients

• Tomatoes: Everyone is probably telling you to use the best tomatoes for the best bruschetta (including me), but let’s make sure we are on the same page with what that means. You will find the best tomatoes later in the summer. They should feel heavy and have smooth skin. They should also smell like tomatoes (if there’s no smell, skip it!). Finally, don’t refrigerate your tomatoes. Something happens after refrigerating tomatoes (they become less flavorful and tomato-y). We store them on the counter. Roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, garden tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes all work nicely for this recipe. If you crave bruschetta outside of tomato season, use cherry tomatoes. We’ve found them to be sweeter and more consistent all year round.
• Bread: I use a rustic Italian bread or a French loaf (like a baguette) to make bruschetta. It should be soft and chewy in the middle, with a little bite around the crust. Slices of homemade focaccia bread work nicely, too.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is key to authentic bruschetta. I don’t add garlic to my tomatoes, but rub my warm, toasted (or grilled) bread with it instead.
• Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, and Basil: I use olive oil when toasting my bread and add a drizzle to my chopped tomatoes. Salt helps bring out the tomato flavor, and fresh basil is lovely (although don’t fret if you don’t have any – the tomatoes are the star here).
• Cheese (Optional): For bruschetta with mozzarella, tear fresh mozzarella into smaller pieces and place them on top of the tomatoes and bread.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Bruschetta

Tip 1: Season your tomatoes. Chop and toss yours tomatoes with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Then, set the bowl aside while you toast or grill your bread. As the tomatoes sit with the salt, they release lots of delicious juices, making the tomato topping extra delicious (I do the same when making my tomato and mozzarella salad).

Tip 2: Rub your bread with fresh garlic. Once my bread has been toasted (or grilled), rub it with fresh garlic. This is a classic Italian trick for making bruschetta. The garlic melts onto the warm bread and prepares it for the tomato topping.

Tip 3: Consider extra toppings. I’m happy with classic tomato bruschetta, but you can always add fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of balsamic glaze (my personal favorite).

More Easy Appetizers

Easy Tomato Bruschetta

• PREP
  15 mins
  
• COOK
  5 mins
  
• TOTAL
  20 mins
  

When serving this classic bruschetta recipe, spoon some of the tomato juices from the bowl over each bread slice. Thanks to the tomatoes, olive oil, and salt, that liquid is pure gold! If you have any extra, use it as a dip for more bread or sip on it (it is the best!).

Makes 6 Servings, 2 bruschetta each

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

12 slices Italian bread or French baguette, 1/2-inch-thick

3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1 pound ripe fresh tomatoes, at room temperature, 3 to 4 medium (450g)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the bread

12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

6 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces, optional (170g)

Directions

1Prepare tomato topping: Chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces, then add to a medium mixing bowl with a generous pinch of salt, a small pinch of black pepper, and the olive oil. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.

2Prepare the bread: Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare an outdoor grill for medium heat. Drizzle the bread slices with the remaining olive oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until warmed through and grill marks appear.

3Rub garlic over the bread: Rub one side of the warm grilled bread with garlic (two to three strokes per slice should do it), and then place it onto a serving plate with the garlic-rubbed side facing up.

4To finish: Stir and taste the tomatoes, then add more salt or pepper as needed. Spoon a generous amount of tomatoes onto each bread slice. Drizzle a little of the juice remaining at the bottom of the bowl over the tomatoes, and add basil and optional mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Canned tomatoes: If you cannot access sweet, ripe tomatoes, use high-quality canned whole tomatoes. Reserve the juice for another recipe and chop the whole tomatoes for the bruschetta. We love San Marzano tomatoes and have also been very happy with canned Muir Glen tomatoes.
• Balsamic vinegar: For extra flavor, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar into the tomatoes. Or, after assembling the bruschetta, drizzle over a balsamic glaze.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include mozzarella.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
2 bruschetta
/
Calories
169
/
Protein
4 g
/
Carbohydrate
18 g
/
Dietary Fiber
2 g
/
Total Sugars
3 g
/
Total Fat
10 g
/
Saturated Fat
1 g
/
Cholesterol
0 mg

AUTHOR:

Joanne Gallagher

Previous Post: Perfect Juicy Grilled Chicken
Next Post: The Best Instant Pot Pot Roast

Source link

We love this homemade tomato broth made from fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, and smoked paprika. It’s flavorful and a little smoky, making it perfect for using as a base for vegetable dishes. Use this tomato broth for soups, stews, and rice dishes like risotto.

We have a few broths and stocks on Inspired Taste. I especially love this vegetable broth recipe with carrots, onions, and mushrooms. It’s rich and satisfying. This tomato stock is the answer when I want something lighter and more summery.

Our tomato broth recipe combines fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and spices. It’s vegetarian, takes about 30 minutes to make, and is easy!

How to Make Tomato Broth

To make tomato broth, throw quartered tomatoes and chopped bell pepper into a pot. Add salt, smoked paprika, thyme, a bay leaf, and water. Bring to a simmer, and then cook, covered for 30 minutes (it smells great!).

Throw away the thyme stems and bay leaf, then blend the broth until smooth. Pour it through a mesh strainer to remove any bits of tomato skin, and you are done!

We use this broth for soup — like this tomato soup — and especially love it when making our summery vegetable risotto.

Source link

This easy roasted tomato soup recipe gets its incredible flavor from roasting the tomatoes with onion and whole garlic cloves.

When we’re overflowing with tomatoes, this roasted tomato soup with garlic and basil is our go-to. Roasting transforms the tomatoes, making them incredibly sweet and flavorful (it’s the perfect way to use them).

We roast our tomatoes in a hot oven for half an hour. Then, we blend them with a few simple ingredients to create one of our favorite soups!

Key Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes: Use whatever you’ve got! Roasting concentrates the flavor, making this soup great for using less-than-perfect tomatoes. In the summer, I love a mix of heirlooms, cherry, and plum tomatoes for extra sweetness. For a recipe using canned tomatoes, try our popular three ingredient tomato soup (delicious!)
• Onion and Garlic: Roast these alongside the tomatoes. Roasted garlic adds a delicious richness, while the onion becomes sweet and tender.
• Broth: For a vegetarian option, choose veggie broth. You can also use your favorite chicken broth or stock. For even more tomato flavor, try homemade tomato broth.
• Fresh basil: It wouldn’t be tomato basil soup without it! Blend in a generous cup of fresh basil leaves for that classic flavor. For another tomato-basil recipe, try our fresh tomato bruschetta.
• Cream and butter: These make a smooth and creamy texture. I like just 1/4 cup of cream (enough to balance the acidity without being too rich). (See the recipe notes for vegan options!)

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Roasted Tomato Soup

Tip 1: Roast tomatoes, onion, and garlic. To make the best roasted tomato soup, we roast fresh tomatoes, quartered onions, and whole garlic cloves on a sheet pan. The tomatoes soften, burst, and release their delicious juices.

Tip 2: Simmer for more flavor. When the tomatoes have finished roasting, we transfer everything to a soup pot with some broth and a couple of tablespoons of butter. The soup simmers for about half an hour.

Tip 3: Finish with cream and basil. We blend the soup with fresh basil until it’s rich and creamy. Then, a splash of cream at the end makes our soup extra creamy and balances the tomatoes acidity.

Serving Suggestions

It’s impossible to serve this soup without grilled cheese sandwiches in our house (Adam’s request!). I also love dunking crusty bread, garlic focaccia bread, or freshly made garlic bread into it. You can also top this soup with croutons, store-bought or homemade.

Salads are great with soup. Try our favorite Greek salad, this good-for-you quinoa salad, or our easy tomato salad. For some sandwich options, try this vegetarian-friendly smashed chickpea sandwich. I also love tuna salad sandwiches and this avocado egg salad sandwich.

More Roasted Tomato Recipes

Source link

This Chickpea Tomato Soup has spinach and basil, and this is a delicious meatless soup that’s also gluten-free. And if you don’t have fresh or frozen basil for this recipe, you can switch out the basil for basil pesto!

PIN the tasty Chickpea Tomato Soup to try it later!

Chickpea Tomato Soup is one of the soups I make during the holidays for my annual soup party. But when it came time to stir in the basil this year, I didn’t have any of the frozen basil that usually lasts me through the winter. What I did have in my freezer was plenty of basil pesto, so I just stirred some of that into the soup instead. And this with pesto was such a hit that I’m going to add that option to the recipe along with the new photo you see above.

Before I give you the recipe I’m going to confess that this is the first time I’ve soaked dried chickpeas and cooked them. Not that it’s shameful to use canned chickpeas, but the freshly cooked chickpeas were wonderful in this soup. Even better, the liquid the chickpeas were cooked in became the base of the soup, which made it extra flavorful.

And if you like the flavors in this Chickpea Tomato Soup soup but don’t want the carbs from chickpeas, check out the Tomato Spinach Soup I made years later that’s also a delicious vegetarian soup that switches chickpeas for cauliflower rice! If you like these flavors I hope you’ll try one of these tasty soups.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• dried chickpeas or canned chickpeas
• canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
• onion
• garlic
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• tomatoes
• spinach
• basil (or basil pesto)
• salt and black pepper

Can you make Chickpea Tomato Soup with canned chickpeas?

I loved the flavor I got when I soaked dried chickpeas and used them in this soup, and that’s also much less expensive. But if that’s just not happening at your house you can use two 15 oz. cans of chickpeas. The cooking time will be shorter.

How low in carbs is the Chickpea Tomato Soup?

Even with chickpeas, this tasty soup has only 12 net carbs per serving, and 5 grams of protein.

How can you make this soup lower in carbs?

If you’d like a version of this soup with tomatoes, chickpeas, and spinach that’s lower in carbs, just use fewer chickpeas and double the amount of spinach.

What if you don’t have fresh basil?

I’d definitely use my frozen basil for this soup with tomatoes and chickpeas if I had some of that, but you can also use purchased basil pesto if that’s what you have.

Weekend Food Prep:

This Chickpea Tomato Soup recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Low-Carb Diet / /Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chickpea Tomato Soup is a bit high in carbs for low-carb diet plans, but you can make it lower in carbs by using fewer chickpeas and more of the other ingredients, especially spinach. Soup like this is a perfect main dish for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This soup recipe with chickpeas and tomatoes was posted in 2008, and I’ve made it many times for my annual soup party. It was updated with better photos in 2012 and was last updated with more information in 2026.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Source link

This tomato shrimp pasta recipe is incredibly easy, light, and comes together in the time it takes the pasta to cook.

This shrimp pasta is one of my go-to meals when craving something light, fresh, and flavorful. It comes together quickly and easily, making it perfect for busy weeknights.

The combination of juicy shrimp, sweet tomatoes, and fragrant basil is simply irresistible! This dish truly screams summer. For more easy shrimp recipes, see our shrimp carbonara, shrimp scampi, shrimp ziti, and these sesame ginger shrimp.

Key Ingredients

• Pasta: While I love using thin pasta like angel hair or thin spaghetti for this dish, feel free to use your favorite shape. Any kind of pasta will work!
• Shrimp: I recommend using large or jumbo shrimp for this recipe. They’re less likely to overcook and dry out in the sauce. When you’re buying shrimp, look for fresh ones that are firm to the touch and have a slightly sweet smell.
• Garlic: This recipe uses 3 cloves of garlic for a bold garlic flavor. If you’re a garlic lover like me, you can even add more!
• Tomatoes: This recipe combines canned tomatoes with fresh cherry tomatoes. The canned tomatoes create a flavorful sauce, while the cherry tomatoes add a burst of freshness.
• Basil: To brighten up the dish and add another layer of fresh flavor, toss in a generous handful of fresh basil leaves just before serving.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Our Favorite Shrimp Pasta

Tip 1: Cook shrimp while pasta cooks. Start by cooking your pasta. We love using angel hair or thin spaghetti, but any shape will work. While the pasta is cooking, make the shrimp. Cook garlic in olive oil in a skillet. When it becomes fragrant, add the shrimp.

Tip 2: Add a lot of tomatoes. Add a whole can of diced tomatoes, and a handful of basil leaves as the shrimp turn translucent in the middle. Then toss in cooked pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes, and cook until coated. The pasta will absorb the sauce flavors, the basil will wilt, and the fresh cherry tomatoes will warm through.

Source link

This easy tomato soup recipe is the best you’ll ever make, and it’s shockingly simple. It calls for just three main ingredients: butter, onion, and tomatoes.

Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato sauce inspires this easy tomato soup recipe, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it makes one of the best bowls of soup I’ve made. Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you, this soup is absolutely delicious! You might not think three ingredients can combine to make such a velvety and tasty soup, but they can.

This homemade tomato soup is truly one of my favorite soup recipes on Inspired Taste. If you love roasted tomatoes, see our roasted tomato soup recipe. Or for a summery chilled soup, I love our tomato gazpacho.

Key Ingredients

• Tomatoes: I love canned tomatoes for this soup. They’re always in season, so I can enjoy this recipe year-round. San Marzano or Muir Glen are my go-to. If you have fresh tomatoes, you’ll need about 10 to 12 medium (or 2 pounds). There is no need to peel them. Everything is blended in the end, anyway!
• Onion: I cut half a large onion into large wedges and then allow them to simmer with the tomatoes until it’s sweet and soft. The onion adds a lovely flavor and makes the soup creamy.
• Butter: I don’t add any cream or milk and use butter instead. The butter simmers with the tomatoes and onion, which flavors the soup and makes it taste rich and creamy.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Tomato Soup

Tip 1: Toss everything into a pot. To make the easiest tomato soup, toss butter, onion, a large can of tomatoes, and water into a large pot. (I usually use water in this soup, but vegetable broth, tomato broth, or chicken broth works, too.)

Tip 2: Simmer on low heat. Bring everything to a low simmer and cook for 40 minutes. The photo and video show that the soup becomes super creamy. That’s thanks to the butter. The onions also soften, which adds to the creaminess of our soup once it is blended.

Tip 3: Blend until smooth. I typically use an immersion blender, but a regular blender works perfectly fine. Adjust the soup with salt and pepper, then grab a bowl and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

Our family loves homemade tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, but this soup is also excellent topped with homemade croutons or served next to a slice of homemade focaccia or buttery garlic bread. I also love serving soup next to fresh salads like this easy chopped salad or homemade Caesar salad.

More Easy Soup Recipes

Source link

If you’re looking for more sardine recipes, try this Nicoise Salad Recipe with a twist. Made with sweet potatoes instead of white spuds and canned sardines instead of tuna, this French salad is boosted with extra nutrients for a healthy heart and brain. Served with sun-dried tomato dressing that has a lot of flavour and attitude, which might help those not loving sardines to actually enjoy them a little in this salad. This recipe is gluten-free, paleo, Whole30 friendly and super nutritious. 

I recently wrote a post about why you should start eating more sardines (hint: superfood!) and adding them to a crispy salad with a tasty dressing is an easy way to incorporate this impressive into your diet. I always think about which salads traditionally feature fish or seafood and if I can swap the protein out with sardines. Nicoise salad was the first that came to mind!

What Is Nicoise Salad?

Salad Niçoise is a French dish from the beautiful city of Nice in the south of the country.

The most classic recipe features tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives (similar to Kalamata, I guess) and anchovies or tuna, dressed with olive oil. These will often be piled on top of lettuce. There are many variations and cooked potatoes and greens beans are often included.

Most of the time, either freshly cooked or canned tuna is used but many fancy versions will serve Nicoise salad with crispy skin salmon or pan-seared tuna tataki. You might also find ingredients like shallots, red peppers, asparagus and so on.

I have a version with hot smoked salmon Nicoise salad and pickled onions here.

For this Nicoise salad creation, I pan-fried some sweet potatoes (which can also be boiled or roasted) and used sardines canned in olive oil. I steamed some fin green beans and used regular Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and some red onion for a kick.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

One of the standout elements in this salad is the sun-dried tomato dressing. As a rule of thumb, when using sardines in a recipe, you might want to disguise their strong flavour with something equally bold. Acidic, sweet, sour ingredients usually do the trick. Things like citrus juice, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, or pickled anything works really well.

In this case, I blended a few sun-dried tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and a little chili, which give this dressing a bit of va-va-voom. I recommend making a larger batch as you will want to use it again and again. 

It goes well as a condiment with grilled or baked fish, chicken or meat and can be used over any grilled or roast veggies to give them freshness and zing. 

More Sardine Recipes

Full Recipe 

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

[mv_playlist id=”224″ jsonLd=”false” ratio=”16:9″ thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1599716598/plqh05ivvby851y7acqo.jpg” title=”WATCH MY TOP 10 HEALTHY VIDEO RECIPES”]

Save This French Salad With Sardines To Pinterest

Source link

My favorite cherry tomato salad is made with juicy cherry tomatoes, a simple olive oil dressing, and briny feta cheese! It’s super simple, absolutely delicious, and sure to be a hit!

Whenever I have cherry tomatoes in the house, I save a handful to make this easy cherry tomato salad. It’s absolutely perfect. I love it so much that I could honestly eat it every day!

The trick is quickly marinating the tomatoes in salt before adding the other salad ingredients. I use the same trick for this tomato mozzarella salad and our favorite caprese salad!

Key Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes: We designed this as a cherry tomato salad, but you can use any variety of tomato. Make sure that they are ripe, sweet, and juicy.
• Vinegar: Use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. They are all delicious!
• Oregano: This cherry tomato salad is inspired by our Greek salad recipe, so I use a good amount of dried Oregano. I love it!
• Olive Oil: Use your favorite kind. It will combine with the tomato juices to make a delicious dressing.
• Salt and Pepper: The trick to the best tomato salad is to salt your tomatoes ahead of time. You’ll see me say the same thing on all the tomato salad recipes we’ve shared (this caprese salad being one example). The salt draws out the tomato juices, intensifying their flavor. Then, those juices mix with our olive oil to create a simple dressing.
• Feta: I love adding big slabs of feta cheese to this salad. They crumble and mix into the salad as you push your fork into them. Mozzarella or burrata cheese is also excellent.

How to Make My Favorite Cherry Tomato Salad

The key to this cherry tomato salad is giving the salt and tomatoes time together before adding anything else. They taste great by themselves, but they are incredible after I allow the tomatoes to marinate in a little salt for a bit. Their sweetness and flavor intensify. (I also use this tip for the best bruschetta!)

When you’re ready to eat the salad, stir in a bit of acid. I’ve been obsessed with champagne vinegar lately, but red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar are fantastic with cherry tomatoes.

As a nod to Greek salad, I add a slab of feta cheese. Then I scatter some oregano and pepper on top and finish with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil. It’s easy, fresh, and delicious. Make this one soon. I know you’ll love it!

Easy Cherry Tomato Salad

• PREP
  15 mins
  
• TOTAL
  15 mins
  

This cherry tomato salad recipe is undeniably simple, but that doesn’t mean it won’t blow you away. Salting the tomatoes for at least 10 minutes intensifies their sweetness and flavor. We call for cherry tomatoes, but all varieties, large and small, work.

Makes 2 servings

You Will Need

2 cups cherry tomatoes, about 10 ounces

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vinegar like red wine, balsamic or champagne vinegar or use fresh lemon juice

2 ounces feta cheese, cut into large slabs

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Generous pinch of fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1Halve or quarter the tomatoes so they are a variety of shapes and sizes.

2Add to a serving bowl, then toss with salt. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

3Stir in the vinegar, and then nestle the feta cheese slabs into the pile of tomatoes.

4Scatter the oregano and black pepper on top.

5Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Storing: This is best eaten the day you make it, but will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for a day or two.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/2 of the recipe
/
Calories
169
/
Total Fat
13.4g
/
Saturated Fat
5.3g
/
Cholesterol
25.3mg
/
Sodium
560.4mg
/
Carbohydrate
8.5g
/
Dietary Fiber
2.3g
/
Total Sugars
5.9g
/
Protein
5.7g

AUTHOR:

Adam Gallagher

Previous Post: Easy Ham and Cabbage Soup
Next Post: Homemade Red Curry Paste

Source link

Guys, this is one of the tastiest soups I’ve made and I am super excited to share this recipe! It’s a roasted tomato soup that is Bisque-like, tangy and sweet with silky, decadent mascarpone cream cheese folded in at the last minute. It’s a vitamin and antioxidant-rich recipe that is gluten-free, grain-free and vegetarian. You can also make a dairy-free version, although I do think mascarpone adds a bit of magic to it. Make sure to rate this recipe and comment at the bottom for others to discover this yummy dish.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

The idea for this soup wasn’t mine, to begin with. A couple of months ago, I was walking down a supermarket in London and I saw a few ready-made soups on offer. There was the roast chicken, the classic butternut squash and then I spotted a pot of roasted cherry tomato soup with mascarpone. I’ve never had that soup, neither did I buy it that time.

But, the idea has stuck in my mind because just that morning I roasted a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes and I was commenting to my partner how extra sweet and flavourful they become when caramelised during roasting.

I thought ‘Wow, imaging that punchy, tangy and sweet roasted cherry tomato flavour mellowed out by the milky mascarpone. Creamy, silky, plenty of umami.” It was working in my head, so without ever trying the supermarket version, I decided to make my own creamy roasted tomato bisque soup. Not sure if it’s anything like that other soup but it was bloody fantastic and I am definitely making it again.

What Is Mascarpone?

Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that is most known for its use in tiramisu. It’s subtly sweet and silky cow’s milk cheese that has a rich texture that is somewhere between Philadelphia cream cheese and double cream. It tastes somewhere in between two, so it’s has a very faint hint of cheese and all the creaminess of the milky fat.

Alternatives to mascarpone: you can fold in regular or light cream cheese, heavy or double cream, sour cream, creme fraiche, thick Greek yoghurt. If you’re using just the cream or yoghurt, you could also add a tiny sprinkle of grated cheese or Parmesan. For a dairy-free version, try thick coconut cream or a dairy-free cream.

What Goes With Tomato Soup?

The soup is rich and satiating on its own but you could serve it with some shredded chicken, cooked prawns, quinoa or chickpeas for extra protein. Grilled salty halloumi would also work well here.

Serve it with a side of grilled cheese sandwiches or for something healthier make a loaf of this spinach feta bread, my low-carb bread or this fluffy gluten-free bread. I’ve also served it with this gluten-free focaccia, which was a fabulous combo. Some sourdough croutons might be nice or you can top the soup with some fried shallots or pumpkin seeds for an extra crunchy texture.

How To Make Roasted Tomato Soup

There are three simple parts to making this creamy tomato soup. I will guide you with some step-by-step pics and you can find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below.

Part 1. Roast cherry tomatoes until caramelised and slightly charred. This will take about 30 minutes, during which time you can do Part 2.

Part 2. Cook the base soup with sauteed mirepoix (onion, celery and carrots), garlic, tinned tomatoes and a few sun-dried tomatoes for extra oomph. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Part 3. Add the roasted cherry tomatoes to the cooked soup and puree into smooth bisque consistency. Finally, fold in the mascarpone cream cheese or alternatives.

MORE HEALTHY SOUPS TO TRY

SAVE THIS CREAMY TOMATO SOUP TO PINTEREST

Source link