Minty Tomato Salad

This Minty Tomato salad is my signature salad and I truly hope you enjoy it!

Have you ever tired of the same ol’ – same ol’ greens? Have you ever eaten a salad and been surprised by the taste sensation of a fresh herb? Mint and basil (did you know they’re from the same family?) each do that for me. And don’t you just salivate over fresh, in-season, heirloom tomatoes? Well, those are the influences for this creation. The Minty Tomato salad is Summer-fresh, just feels healthy, and assembling it gives you a chance to bring out your inner artist! The addition of delicate fava beans and mild zing of a shallot add contrasting taste and texture. So, try this “as is”! I guarantee it’s a people pleaser. Then, go ahead and experiment. Create a variation on this “minty tomato salad” theme and write me back with your experiences!

I try not to disturb most of my salads containing fresh vegetables or berries by tossing. Instead, I arrange them in a pretty way on a platter or in a bowl and drizzle dressing on top of the salads. This way, your salad will never be overwhelmed with too much dressing and the presentation will not suffer either.

Looking for more healthy and pretty salads? Check these out:

Minty Tomato Salad

Recipe by The Minty Tomato

5.0 from 6 votes

Course: SaladsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

2

minutes

Calories

215

kcal

Total time

12

minutes

The Minty Tomato salad is Summer-fresh, just feels healthy, and assembling it gives you a chance to bring out your inner artist!

Ingredients

• 2 cup Tomatoes (cherries, or heirloom or both), sliced

• 1/2 cup Shelled fava beans from about 1 pound (400 grams) of pods

• 1 Shallot, sliced

• 1/3 cup Mint leaves, fresh

• 1/3 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/3 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp White balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

• Prepare the ingredients.
  
• Peel shallot and slice into rings. Remove fava beans from their pod and blanche them in a small saucepan of boiling water (about 30-40 seconds). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the blanched fava beans to a bowl of cold water. Drain the beans and carefully peel off their translucent skins. Transfer skinless beans to a small bowl or cup.
  
• Combine tomatoes, beans and mint in a serving bowl; season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  
• Garnish with the shallot rings.
  
  
• Drizzle vinegar and oil to suit your personal preference. The less you use, the more you will be able to distinguish and appreciate the flavors of the individual ingredients!
  
• Serve as an appetizer or side dish for fish or chicken.
  

Notes

• To mix or not to mix? Many recipes recommend mixing dressing ingredients in a bowl. Whisking oil and vinegar together can give you a light emulsion because it introduces air into the mixture. But, in my opinion, for an everyday salad where your dressing is simply a combination of oil and vinegar, there is no need to do so. Just drizzle a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the assembled salad. It is easy to control the amount of dressing this way.
• Health concerns: People who suffer from favism, a hemolytic response to the consumption of broad beans, a condition linked to a metabolism disorder, must avoid fava beans.

Nutrition information is estimated. It is calculated using an online nutrition calculator based on recipe ingredients as inputs. Accuracy is dependent on the calculator. It is not intended as a professional nutritionist’s advice.