Green Salad With Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette
Updated October 11, 2023
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 cup diced ripe tomatoes (or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes)
5 garlic cloves
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, more to taste
Fine sea salt
5 ounces fresh baguette, ciabatta or crusty sourdough bread, torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups)
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 quarts salad greens, such as mixed baby lettuces, mesclun, arugula or a combination
¼ cup Parmesan shavings (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
15 grams carbs; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 323 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 261 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 2 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, 1 grated or minced garlic clove, basil, sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes (and up to 4 hours).
- Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread bread out on a baking sheet and bake until pale golden, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Step 3
Smash and peel remaining 4 garlic cloves. Put them in a pan along with ½ cup olive oil and place over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the garlic turns pale golden in spots and starts to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. (Lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown.)
- Step 4
Add toasted bread and salt to the pan and fry until the bread is deeply golden and crunchy, 3 to 5 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a little more oil. Transfer croutons to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let cool.
- Step 5
Just before serving, whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil into the tomato and basil mixture. Taste and add more salt, vinegar or oil, if needed; it should taste bright and balanced. Add the greens, Parmesan (if using) and croutons (along with the fried garlic, if you like) to the tomato mixture, tossing gently to combine. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
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?
I liked this salad okay but wasn’t wild about it. The juice from the marinated tomatoes made for a very watery vinaigrette that just ran off the greens rather than coating them. The croutons could have used a bit of flavor other than just olive oil and salt. I used ciabatta for the bread, and quartered super-sweet cherry tomatoes. Probably won’t make it again because I felt there was a lot of chopping (which I don’t mind) for not a lot of payoff (which I do mind).
Way too much garlic. It overwhelms the dish.
@Irene Four of the five cloves of garlic don’t have to be added to the salad — they are for flavoring the cooking oil. I disposed of them after frying and didn’t find the salad to be too garlicky.
This is very good, even with store-bought winter tomatoes. I used campari tomatoes