Green Salad With Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

I do something similar with pasta. I marinate chopped tomatoes with just a little vinegar and olive oil. I then pile arugula on top of that and let it sit while the pasta cooks. After draining the cooked pasta, I dump it on top of the arugula and let it sit. The arugula wilts a bit. Then I toss it all together and add a bit of cheese -- parm, chopped up fresh mozzarella, etc...

I stole the tomato vinaigrette recipe and used it to season and top chickpeas or white beans for a cold bean salad on these hot days. I add leftovers from the refrigerator.

In the midst of hot temps I am loath to turn the oven on. Why not just toast the bread in a skillet and then proceed with adding other ingredients and frying?

Or just make twice as much tomato/garlic/basil mix, and have a great bowl of bruschetta ready for the next day. Just way bigger croutons!

Lovely salad. Another hit Melisa! Try seeding the tomatoes first- removing the goo that is the diluting destroyer of salad dressings. (With the stem pointing up, slice the tomatoes through the middle, run you finger into the groves to release the goo, but don’t squeeze- you will lose too much moisture.)

For those loath to crank up the oven during the summer season (also tomato season), deploy the air fryer. It works great as long as the oil is cut back to almost nothing, which is also a plus. I usually drizzle olive oil in a mixing bowl, add seasoning, and then add the bread and toss it twice as long as it feels like I should. Then air fry at 300 for about 5 minutes.

Anyone who's *quartering* grape tomatoes has far more patience (and fine motor skills) than I'll ever have!

If you are outdoor grilling other components of a meal with this salad, grilling the bread as slices brushed with olive oil, or torn and in a grill pan or basket, puts all the heat of summer baking outside where it belongs and saves a step . This salad, sans lettuce, is just a version of the panzanella that I make in the summer. I always prep the tomatoes, veggies and dressing to marinate in the fridge for a bit and then toss in the toasted/ grilled bread just before serving

I'm with your mom! I love a next day wilty salad either alone or as a topper for fresh greens!

I got as far as fresh, chopped tomatoes, white wine vinegar, fresh basil, and a pinch of salt before I started drinking it as if it were soup.

The only adjustment I made was to leave out the four cloves of garlic from the salad. The two of us polished it off entirely. Delicious!

The oven dehydrates the bread, so it will soak up the lovely flavored oil.

It always bothers me when recipes that serve 6 call for 1 measly cup of end of summer ripe tomatoes.

I don’t like vinegar so I use lemon and keep the tomato goo and seeds. The goo adds juice flavor and colour and the seeds, roughage…and no fiddling with the tomatoes!

Thank you Melissa. I made this salad last night for the two of us reducing the ingredients accordingly. It is a perfect tomato vinaigrette with arugula as my only greens.Such a perfect combo that I made it again tonight, and guess what?'Twas excellent again.A keeper for sure, and a salad I intend to use year round.