A simple tomato olive salad made with a medley of fresh heirloom tomatoes, capers, black olives, garlic and fresh onion chives. All the classic Italian flavors of a long simmered puttanesca sauce but in a fresh, quick and easy summer salad.
Tomato Olive Salad
Nothing screams hot summer days like a fresh heirloom tomato salad. And how can one not get romantic about a classic tomato cucumber basil salad or tomatoes and onion dressed with a simple vinegar and oil dressing?! Irresistible!
But so is this new summer favorite featuring bolder flavors from black olives, capers and garlic. Some people like to add a couple of stinky anchovies into the mix but I prefer to keep it pure vegetarian.
Olive Salad Ingredients
- Heirloom tomatoes – because there is no sweeter, juicier, more flavorful or more beautiful tomato out there. Use a mix of colors for both visual drama and different aromas.
- Black olives – i prefer them for their strong and pungent taste, you could use Kalamata for a milder flavor if you prefer.
- Capers – brined and roughly chopped they add a deep salty and tangy flavor to the salad reminiscent of puttanesca style dishes.
- Garlic – a little bit goes a long way. Make sure to grate it into a paste, you don’t want to bite into a raw piece of garlic.
- Fresh herbs – Italian parsley and onion chives brighten up and tame the pungent flavor of the garlic, don’t skip them.
The Vinaigrette
A simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing mixed in with all the tomato juices is absolutely divine. The secret lies in allowing the salad a maceration period, about 10 minutes or so for the acid to break through and tomatoes to release their flavorful juices.
Recipe Tips
- Chop up all the ingredients into smaller pieces and serve as a bruschetta topping.
- Give it a Mediterranean flair with fresh dill, cucumber + crumbled feta (I love the Violife dairy free blocks).
- Pairing – Serve with a slice of thin crust Italian pizza, focaccia, Italian roasted potatoes or alongside a creamy cucumber salad.
- Refrigeration is not recommended as tomatoes become mealy when chilled and lose their magic.
Tomato Olive Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 heirloom tomatoes mixed colors
- 3 tbsp capers roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives pitted & halved
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar + more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic -grated
- 1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley -roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh onion chives + blossoms -snipped
Instructions
- Add the roughly chopped capers to a salad bowl together with the grated garlic. Whisk in the olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- Slice the tomatoes into wedges and add them to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Mix in the black olives and chopped parsley. Gently toss to coat all over and adjust seasonings to your taste with more vinegar or sea salt.
- Allow the salad to macerate for about 10 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve garnished with fresh chives and chive blossoms.
Notes
- chop everything up into smaller pieces and serve as a bruschetta topping.
- maceration period - allow the salad to sit and macerate for a good 10 minutes before serving for all the flavors to marry.
- refrigeration is not recommended as tomatoes get mealy when cold, so this salad is best made fresh and enjoyed all at once.
Nutrition
Tomato Recipes:
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Tomato Onion Salad
Tomato Basil Salad
Puttanesca in a salad, very creative. This might get my father-in-law to eat a salad because he loves puttanesca.
Absolutely ! This is how you do it on hot summer days when stirring up the sauce just isn’t a good idea 😉 Have a great weekend !
Woah! Check out those colours, that freshness, that PLATE! This is awesome!! AND incredibly creative too. You seriously rock Florentina!! N x (PS Pinning of course. Splash of brightness to my boards!)
awww Nagi, thank you so much ! So glad someone is digging my crazy splash of colors in my dishes ! Tomatoes forever !!
Those tomatoes look so beautiful! Such amazing produce!
And this salad. Yummy. I love puttanesca, the olives and the capers, mixed with the anchovies. All those amazing strong flavours and the the sweetness of tomatoes.
This recipe is inspired! Such a great way to lighten up a classic.
Can’t wait to try this, pinning it right now!!
I love love love this recipe, with all those bright and fresh colors, and the photos are mouth watering!
Thanks Katalina, I hpe you give it a try, have a fab week !xo’s
Prego-Ricette italiane in italiano!