Seek out the most delicious tomatoes available, preferably sun-ripened on the vine, and you will be rewarded with an incomparable flavour. Lemon, fresh coriander and mint add freshness and zest to the tomatoes in this tangy salad, which can easily be varied with other fresh herbs and flavourings such as onion and garlic.
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.
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.
Excellent source of vitamin C. Good source of vitamin E. Useful source of folate, vitamin A.
Very tasty. I omitted the sugar as I felt it didn't need it. If you don't like fresh coriander this isn't for you as the lemon juice seems to draw out its flavour. - 27 Apr 2014
What a new style! Loved it. It looked very good. I served it with chicken korma. - 22 Jun 2010 (Review from Allrecipes India)