Perfection In a Bowl: Tomato Basil Salad

I may have not had tremendous success in my garden this summer, but I did manage to get some tomatoes and my basil plants are about waist-high.

Someone remind me to only plant ONE basil plant next year. Anyway…

While I love roasting, stewing, cooking, and otherwise doing lots of interesting things to my tomatoes, it doesn’t get much better than a few ripe, juicy, fresh slices on a BLT (try it with basil instead of lettuce, it will blow your mind) or a few slices, sprinkled with salt and pepper, along side my dinner. When it comes to tomatoes, simple is best.

And when it comes to tomatoes, adding basil is AMAZING. And adding a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and if you have any on hand, fresh mozzarella? Mind blowing. Life changing. Simply put, perfection in a bowl.

Tomato Basil Salad
Print this (non) recipe!

Tomatoes, fresh from the garden or produce stand (however many your heart desires)
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lots of fresh basil (as much or as little as you like)
Fresh mozzarella, optional (I like to buy the “pearls” so I don’t have to do any extra chopping, but use whatever you have)

Using a serrated knife, dice your tomatoes and put in a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil (as much as you want/need) and a few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (the stuff is strong, so a little goes a long way). Sprinkle with salt and pepper; stir, taste, and adjust seasonings and add more vinegar or olive oil if desired. Roll your basil up length-wise and slice thinly (also called chiffonade) and toss into the salad. Add cheese if desired, and stir, taste, and adjust if needed. Enjoy immensely and celebrate all things summer.