Easy Algarve Style Tomato Salad

There’s something about a proper Algarvian tomato salad that just hits differently. I eat this all year round, but it really comes alive in the summer when you get your hands on those big, ugly, beautiful tomatoes, the kind with the weird bumps and deep red flesh, like Coração de Boi (ox heart tomatoes) or Pantano Romanesco. They’re not pretty on the outside, but slice them open and you’ve got something that looks and tastes like summer itself.

This salad is really just a pile of well-seasoned tomato, and that’s exactly the point. It doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is, and that simplicity is what makes it so good. The olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper work together to bring out everything that’s already great about the tomato, without covering it up or getting in the way. Let’s check the recipe!

Servings: 2
Time: 20mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★
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It's the goto Summer Time salad in the Algarve, when tomatoes are in season... it's the best!

Ingredients

Tomato – 2
Onion – 1/2
Olive Oil – 3 Tablespoons
Vinegar – 1 Tablespoon
Black Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Cut the tomatoes in thin slices, do the same with the onion.
Mix and season with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, mix, taste and adjust the seasoning, enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Sorry for the weak photo, its a old one, but the recipe is solid, so better share! ;D

Use the ugliest tomatoes you can find. Seriously, those big, misshapen heirloom varieties like ox heart or beefsteak tomatoes are ideal here because they’re meaty, less watery, and packed with flavor. A perfectly round supermarket tomato will work in a pinch, but it won’t give you the same result.

Let it rest for a few minutes after seasoning. Once you mix everything together, give it 5 to 10 minutes to sit at room temperature. The tomatoes will release a little juice that mixes with the oil and vinegar to create a natural dressing that’s honestly better than anything you could pour from a bottle.

Go easy on the vinegar. The recipe calls for one tablespoon, and that’s the right call. You want a little brightness, not a sharp tang that overpowers the tomato. If you’re unsure, start with half a tablespoon, taste, and work your way up, you can also swap for lemon juice.

Use a good olive oil. This salad has almost no ingredients, which means every single one matters. A decent extra virgin olive oil will make this taste like it came from a restaurant terrace in the Algarve. A cheap one will remind you why quality matters.

Serve it at room temperature, never cold. Tomatoes lose flavor when they’re refrigerated, so either prep this fresh right before serving, or let refrigerated tomatoes come back to room temperature before you season and plate them.

This recipe for Easy Algarve Style Tomato Salad was originally created on BakeAfter.com.