Tomatoes and garlic are superfoods that are full of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. Combined, they make a delicious salad. I love pairing tomatoes and garlic. My dressing for this salad is very simple – olive oil, salt, pepper and lime or lemon juice. Better yet, combine both lime and lemon juice to give the dressing a more complex flavor profile. I also like adding some orange juice to my dressing which brings in more citrusy flavor. This dressing is fairly bright so adding a little honey or sugar balances that brightness out. Some tomatoes are more acidic while others are sweet. For sweeter tomatoes, cut the honey or sugar in half. Unless you like that extra sweetness. If the tomatoes are slightly acidic, as most of them are, use the full teaspoon of the sweet stuff.
This salad can be made in advance. Make it in the morning to enjoy at lunch or dinner. Add the dressing and let it sit or room temperature. Do not refrigerate as refrigeration ruins tomatoes. Hence, make just enough to eat, without any leftovers. It’s best to use very ripe tomatoes, preferably vine-ripened tomatoes. The tomatoes should be slightly soft when you press on them. If they are hard, let them sit at room temperature in your kitchen for a day or two. Once they ripen and become soft, you can make this delicious tomato salad. If you grow heirloom tomatoes in your garden, those will make this salad exceptionally good.
