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Summer Tomato Salad with Fresh Herb and Yogurt Dressing

I grew up spending my summers working on a small produce farm in Lexington,
MA, where one of the biggest money-making crops was tomatoes. They took all
summer long to grow, but the end-result was spectacular, with endless varieties of
brightly-colored heirloom tomatoes that were bursting at the seams. “Tastes like
candy,” my boss would say, as he happily sampled the tomatoes in the field during
harvest.
While you can still get them, make sure to eat as many of these heirloom tomatoes
as possible! This recipe includes fresh tomatoes, some finely-sliced onion, some
fresh and dried herbs, in addition to a tangy yogurt dressing.
Marinating the onions in the freshly-squeezed lemon juice helps get rid of the some
of the raw onion flavor, creating more of a fresh “pickled” onion taste.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Heirloom tomatoes (cut into bite-sized chunks)
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ sweet white onion (cut into thin slices)
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 10 fresh mint leaves (finely sliced)
  • 10 fresh basil leaves (finely sliced)
  • 20 chives (finely sliced)
  • 3 sprigs dill (leaves finely sliced and stems discarded)
  • ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • Cut the Heirloom tomatoes into bite-sized chunks, and add to a large-sized mixing
  • bowl.
  • Salt the tomatoes, and allow the tomatoes to sit for roughly ten minutes to drain off
  • some excess liquid.
  • In a separate smaller bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sliced white
  • onion, dried oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
  • Allow the onion mixture to sit while the tomatoes drain.
  • When the tomatoes have sat for roughly ten minutes, drain off the excess liquid
  • and combine them with the marinated and sliced white onions.
  • Add the Greek yogurt, mint leaves, basil leaves, chives, dill, and freshly-ground
  • black pepper, and stir to fully combine.
  • Taste the mixture, and add more freshly-squeezed lemon juice or salt, if desired.
  • Serve immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

This salad tastes wonderful leftover, although note that the tomatoes will continue to drain some of their liquid after sitting in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, simply strain the excess liquid and stir the contents again to combine. I like to serve this salad alongside grilled fish or chicken, or even just as a simple snack to eat by itself when you are trying to summon the healthy eating gods!