Description

I’m going to let you in on the secret to making a delicious summer salad: tomatoes and salt. There’s tomatoes and then there’s tomatoes — the ones that grow sweet in the dog day afternoons, are plucked warm off the vine, and then make their way onto our plates juicy and dripping with high-summer magic. Start with those tomatoes, slice them with salt and let the salt pull the sugar-umami flavors out, and that is essentially the base for your salad dressing.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups cut tomatoes
Salt
2 cups chopped string beans, blanched
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 small cucumbers, sliced
3-4 cups corn kernels (from 4 cobs)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 Tbsps good-quality olive oil
2-6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed (optional)
Juice from 1 lemon (optional)

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Instructions

Set the cut tomatoes in a bowl and toss with salt: Start with 1/2 teaspoon or a generous pinch and add more if needed. Leave to “marinate” while you build the rest of the salad.
In a big salad bowl, add the string beans, red onion, cucumber, corn, and parsley. Feel free to add any other seasonal veggies you have on hand. Top with a healthy glug of olive oil, the garlic, if using, and a bit of lemon juice to taste. Add the tomatoes and more salt to taste. Toss until everything is coated and well-mixed.

Notes

Add protein to this salad by mixing in crispy tempeh, beans, boiled eggs, or tinned fish.