Zesty tomato salad

Method
Prep:10min  ›  Ready in:10min 

1. Place the tomatoes in a large shallow dish and sprinkle with the sugar. Cut the lemon in half lengthways. Set one half aside, then cut the other half lengthways into 4 wedges. Holding the wedges firmly together on a board, skin side up, thinly slice them across, including the peel. Discard the pips.
2. Arrange the pieces of thinly sliced lemon over the top of the tomatoes, then sprinkle with the spring onions, coriander and mint. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half and sprinkle it over the salad. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish with sprigs of mint just before serving.

Some more ideas

For a tomato salad with rosemary and basil, make a dressing by mixing together 1 tbsp each chopped fresh rosemary and basil, 1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 2 tsp raspberry vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the tomatoes with 3–4 pinches of sugar to emphasise their natural sweetness, and scatter over ½ red or white onion, thinly sliced. Sprinkle the dressing evenly over the tomatoes. Serve at once or cover and chill until ready to serve. * A tomato salad makes a delicious filling for baked potatoes and sweet potatoes. Bake 4 large potatoes until crisp and golden outside and floury inside, then split and fill with the tomato salad. Top with a spoonful of fromage frais or Greek-style yogurt and serve. * Tomato salads are good as omelette fillings. For each serving, make a plain omelette by lightly beating 2 eggs with 2 tbsp cold water and a little seasoning, then cooking in the minimum of olive oil in a very hot omelette pan until just set, lifting the edges to allow unset egg to run onto the hot pan. Spoon a quarter of the tomato salad over half of the set omelette and fold the other half over. Slide the omelette onto a warmed plate. Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty bread.

Plus points

Vitamin C, found in raw tomatoes, is an antioxidant that helps to protect against cancer. Tomatoes also contain lycopene, another valuable anti-cancer agent, believed to be particularly useful in protecting against prostate cancer. Lycopene is enhanced by cooking, so canned tomatoes, tomato purée or paste and tomato ketchup are better sources than fresh tomatoes.

Each serving provides

Excellent source of vitamin C. Good source of vitamin E. Useful source of folate, vitamin A.