Tomatoes are one of the most versatile fresh ingredients we all love to cook with. What if, with a little chopping & some fresh herbs, you can have any of these bright, summery recipes ready in minutes without even having to turn your oven on, leaving more time to enjoy these balmy summer days.
A loaded Caprese salad is perfect for the hurried – it takes 10 minutes to throw together and can be served for lunch, dinner & when you’re entertaining. Juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, salty paper-thin prosciutto, fragrant basil & peppery arugula come together to create one of the most recognizable salads in the world. This is one of my all-time favorite summer salads. It’s a regular on both the lunch & dinner menus in the Walker-Imrie household. Watch me make it here.
Now, I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but allow me to just for a moment as I tell you I’ve made my tomato bruschetta & people who don’t even like tomatoes have tried the little it & they’ve loved it. We’ve had people come for dinner to be sad there was none of my tomato bruschetta on offering. Is it I only use campari tomatoes? Or the ratio of ingredients together? You’re just going to have to try it for yourself & find out. Use really good, red vine-ripened tomatoes. And never store them in the fridge. Tomatoes need to be stored at room temperature. The cold of the fridge makes them mealy. If you’ve got more tomatoes than you think then make a sauce & freeze it for later.
Nothing says “summer”, quite like a nice cold gazpacho. It’s the Grand Poobah of cold soups. Gazpacho originates from Spain & has the addition of bread blended with the veggies. I went with a lower-carb, gluten-free soup & added roasted peppers instead of raw. I think the results were excellent. The soup has a depth & sweetness to it that comes from the roasted peppers. It’s totally make-ahead & is actually better the day after it’s made.
This simple tomato salad is served with cucumber granita. So simple, so easy but something a little different. I believe there’s few marriages more sacred than the tomato basil partnership but the cucumber tomato pairing is also a match made in heaven. If you’ve never eaten a cucumber & tomato sandwich, I urge you to. It’s perfection.
My last no-cook tomato recipe is fattoush. A middle-eastern recipe, fattoush means toasted or fried bread. This salad is so fresh & bright with lots of fresh parsley, mint & cilantro with a smoky cumin lemon dressing. And so there’s no turning the oven on to toast the pita bread, you can use pita bread chips. If you make this, which I really hope you do, I bet it’ll become one of your faves like it is mine. This salad is a prime example of how using fresh, simple ingredients can create such exciting, flavorful recipes. Little effort & inexpensive. Perfection.
Not only do these fresh, summery recipes require no cooking, they’re fast & simple to prepare &…drum-roll please….they’re going to keep you on eating on track for eating wholesome, vibrant food. I don’t know about you but just because I’m on a weight-loss quest, doesn’t mean I’m going to scrimp on flavor & the pleasure of enjoying good food. Nope. Not this girl & you shouldn’t either. Until next time, stay cool. xo
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- 12 campari or other smallish, vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
- 8 oz (226g) fresh mozzarella, torn
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1/4 cup small basil leaves or torn larger leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 slices prosciutto
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Arrange tomato slices and mozzarella on a platter (or individual plates if that’s more your style). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter with chopped basil and sprinkle with garlic.
- Arrange prosciutto on top of tomatoes. Place arugula on prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic, oil and juice. Serves 6.
- 10 campari tomatoes,* diced
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili paste)
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- crusty baguette, cut into thin slices
- 1/2 cup finely grated fresh parmesan
- extra basil leaves, to serve
- Combine tomatoes, sambal, basil, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Top bread slices with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan and extra basil leaves. Serves 6.
- You can toast the bread slices for 5 to 7 minutes in the oven if you prefer. Of course it wouldn't be no-cook but if you prefer to serve it that way, knock yourself out. I love the bread being toasted.
- 1 English (telegraph) cucumber
- 4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cored
- 12 oz (355g) jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, trimmed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 4 cups tomato juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- pinch sugar
- plain Greek yogurt & extra dill sprigs, to serve
- Cut cucumber into quarter lengthways; remove and discard seeds. Cut cucumber into chunks. Place in food processor and process until finely chopped. Scrape into large bowl.
- Add tomatoes to processor and process until finely chopped; add to cucumber mixture.
- Place roasted red peppers, onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic and dill in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add to cucumber mixture.
- Stir in tomato juice, olive oil, vinegar, juice, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight for the flavors to develop.
- Dollop individual servings with yogurt and extra dill. Serves 8.
- CUCUMBER GRANITA
- 1/2 English (telegraph) cucumber
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 small red chili, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- pinch salt
- TOMATO SALAD
- 1 1/2 lbs (750g) tomatoes, sliced or halved, depending on size
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- To make the cucumber granita, cut cucumber lengthways into quarters; remove and discard seeds. Place cucumber and remaining granita ingredients in food processor; process until smooth. Place in shallow baking dish. Freeze for 2 hours or until almost set. Scrape with fork to break up granita. Return to freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until frozen.
- To make the cucumber salad: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Spoon salad onto serving platter or into glasses to serve.
- Scrape the granita with a fork and spoon onto tomato salad. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
- 1 1/2 cups pita chips*
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 small cucumbers, cut chopped
- 4 medium, ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped**
- 8 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
- DRESSING
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush pita breads with oil. Place on baking sheet. Cook in the preheated oven for 5 to10 minutes or until golden; cool. Break bread into pieces and set aside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Add the pita bread pieces. Toss and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
- *If you can’t find pita chips – I get them from Costco, then toast 2 pita breads until crisp and when cooled, break into bite-sized pieces.
- ** Use whatever color pepper you prefer. I used what I had on hand.
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