My Basil Salad is a celebration of mid-summer, when the basil is going gangbusters and heirloom tomatoes are in their glory days. This is a simple, healthy salad that will delight friends and family with bold flavor and gorgeous color.
Basil fills in for lettuce in this epic summer salad!
There’s nothing revolutionary about this basil salad recipe except that I’ve used basil and only basil for my greens, and the payoff is huge. Talk about explosive flavor! I love using herbs as the base for salads, it’s a nice change of pace and nobody expects it. I love to get creative with my summer salads…
- Summer Tomato Flight: this is just as fun to make as it is to eat!
- Cucumber Melon Salad: a stunning checkerboard of summer crunch!
- Burrata Platter: the queen of all show stopping salads.
I can’t imagine a better way to revel in summer basil…
Pick the freshest leaves for a basil salad ~ living plants are best, whether they’re from your garden, the nursery, or the supermarket. Plan to assemble everything just before serving while the leaves are still quivering. Add some colorful heirloom tomatoes, either full size or cherries, thin rounds of bright red onion, and lots of toasted pine nuts. There’s no cheese to weigh this salad down, it’s light as a feather and pure heaven.
Heirloom tomatoes show their true colors only after they’ve been sliced.
They can be one color on the outside, and completely different when you cut into them. Some are solid, and some are mottled. Even if you are using cherry tomatoes, make sure to halve or quarter them, not only is this prettier, it allows the juices and flavors to hit your taste buds right away. Choose firm but fragrant tomatoes, anything that feels too soft is bound to be mushy.
Basil salad tips
- If you need to wash your basil do it very gently in cool water and dry on paper towels before using.
- Don’t chop the basil, it will bruise…keep the leaves whole and choose a variety of sizes. If you have very large leaves stack them up and roll like a cigar, then use a very sharp knife to slice.
- Slice your gorgeous tomatoes shortly before serving, as they start to degrade quickly after being cut.
- Drizzle the dressing on immediately before serving so the delicate basil leaves don’t wilt. No need to toss.
- This salad is ideal for arranging on individual serving plates, too.
If you want to make a meal out of this Basil Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, top it with grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp.
Basil Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 handfuls of fresh picked basil leaves
- 2 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
- 1/4 red onion, cut in thin slivers
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- a drizzle of your best olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Choose a wide shallow salad bowl and add the fresh basil leaves. Top with the tomatoes, red onion, and pine nuts.
- Grind a generous amount of fresh pepper over everything, add a dash of salt, and then drizzle with the oil and vinegar just before serving.
Nutrition
Summer means fistfuls of basil! GREG
Beautiful salad and so seasonally perfect to enjoy right now when all these things are at their best 🙂
Great recipes don’t have to be revolutionary; they just need to rely on good ingredients. Great work showcasing heirloom tomatoes here!
Thanks Ksenia, and I agree, some of the best food is pretty darned simple. Thanks for stopping by.
Basil and tomatoes go so well together. I love the way you used the basil as a base. Makes it uniquely different. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing!!!!
Wow! I’ve never thought to use just basil as the base. Such an amazing summer salad. Love all the heirlooms.
I’m glad I could inspire you Tara — the basil isn’t as intense as you might think because the sweetness of the tomatoes balances it out nicely, I just love it!
I am craving for this salad now! The tomatoes look so scrumptious! I love the addition of pine nuts too.
This truly looks like artwork Sue and definitely the essence of summer. Love those gorgeous tomatoes, can’t wait till mine start rolling in! This will be on the menu, for sure!
This looks and sounds refreshingly delicious! …and because I’m currently staring at my out.of.control basil plant, I think I’ll be trying this recipe ASAP! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing! XO
I figured a lot of people must have big basil right now, and you can only make so much pesto 🙂
Oh the colors in this salad! My basil has gone nuts this summer – so I am making this ASAP! We have some great balsamic and olive oils in the pantry. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
You’re so lucky, I have a black thumb reserved just for basil, i can’t get it to thrive, so I spend a fortune on the little plants at the supermarket — I know you’ll love this salad Tricia!
wow those heirloom tomatoes…I am in love with them. A really beautiful and fresh summertime salad, Sue.