A gorgeous tomato and pomegranate salad from the great Yotam Ottolenghi ~ this healthy vegan salad is going to be the prettiest thing you eat all summer!
This Tomato and Pomegranate salad recipe is from Ottolenghi’s Plenty More
The other day I got an unexpected delivery from Amazon…my thoughtful husband ordered me a copy of Plenty More, Yotam Ottolenghi’s new book! I couldn’t be more excited…his Jerusalem is the most inspiring cookbook I have ever owned. Ever. Plenty More is a new collection of vegetarian dishes and I can already tell it’s going to be equally exciting. I only made it to the first recipe when the familiar ‘Ottolenghi effect’ kicked in…the photo gets me hyperventilating, I get restless, and have to jump up and head to the kitchen. Who would have thought…tomatoes and pomegranate…but it’s a fantastic combination and I’m thrilled to discover something so simple and yet so completely new.
Heirloom tomatoes make a stunning presentation in this tomato salad
My Tomato and Pomegranate Salad looks a little different from his because I used brown tomatoes, or ‘Kumatos’ from Trader Joe’s, which are a specialty variety — sort of an olive green on the outside and a beautiful blush pink on the inside. And then the pomegranates I picked up turned out to be the ones with the pale pink seeds…love that! So mine is a soft pastel version of Ottolenghi’s dish. You can use any kind of tomato you want for this salad, it’s surprisingly wonderful. My husband, who raised his eyebrows at first, loved it.
The  pomegranate and allspice dressing is everything!
The dressing is AMAZING. I’ve raved about a similar dressing in this post. It’s a mix of allspice, pomegranate molasses, vinegar and olive oil. Ottolenghi uses garlic, I left it out. The warm spice gives it an unusual edge, and pomegranate molasses is incomparable. To know it is to love it. Find it in the International section of your market, order it online, or make it yourself. So good.
How to seed a pomegranate neatly
If you have trouble removing the seeds from your pomegranate, try cutting it in half, and then breaking it apart under water, in a large bowl. The seeds will fall to the bottom and the pith will float. No mess.
If you’re tired of the same old salad greens, give this one a try.
It’s no more trouble to make, and the combination of flavors, colors, and textures will spur conversation for sure. Chop the tomatoes in a small dice, add in some red onion and then toss with the dressing. Shower the pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs over it and serve. No need for salt, or pepper…amazing! The following recipe is an adaptation, mine is a little simpler than Ottolenghi’s and I love it. We had it two nights in a row using different types of tomatoes.
Tip ~ Make this salad shortly before serving because the tomatoes will not keep well once cut.
Recipe adapted from Plenty More
Tomato and Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients
dressing
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1/4 cup olive oil
salad
- 4 medium tomatoes, any variety (I used brown, or 'Kumatos')
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 a small red onionred onion
- seeds from 1/2 large pomegranate, 1 cup
- fistful of fresh thyme leaves, or oregano
Instructions
- Whisk together the dressing and taste to adjust the proportions, if necessary. Set aside.
- Cut the tomatoes in a small dice. Put them in a wide shallow bowl. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half if they are small, or in quarters if they are bigger. Add them to the bowl.
- Finely dice the red onion and add to the tomatoes. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat. (You may not need it all)
- Scatter the pomegranate seeds and the fresh thyme or oregano leaves over the salad and serve.
Nutrition
If you’d like to try to make your own pomegranate molasses all you need is pomegranate juice and a sauce pan, I show you how HERE. And I urge you to check out Plenty More, I know I’m going to have fun with the recipes all winter long, and you’re going to feel left out if you don’t have your own copy. 😉
Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi
Love this! What a brilliant combo. This is inspired — lovely recipe. And love the photos, too. Thanks.
The combination looks so refreshing.
Hey Sue, I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award! Check out my post for the details! http://www.thecraftyfrugaler.com/one-lovely-blog/
Thanks Melissa, that’s so sweet of you!
Hi Sue, I just received Plenty More last week, have so many recipes bookmarked, he is one of my favorites. This is one I had bookmarked. Looks amazing!
Gorgeous salad, Sue 🙂
What a gorgeous salad!
Thanks Amanda!
Oh, I seriously need to get this cookbook. Your salad is beautiful in its self, but you pics make it a work of art. Will look for poms at our various markets. Thanks Sue.
Thanks Penny — I’ve been seeing pomegranates everywhere, I think because the public demand is growing, and Trader Joe’s always sells the seeds by themselves.
So funny Sue, my husband went to Costco the other day and when he came home, he said “close your eyes”. When I opened them, there was “Plenty More” – I was thrilled and when I opened the first page and saw this salad, I flipped! It looked amazing. I made it the other day and we took pictures. I won’t be posting it for a while though. I couldn’t find my pomegranate molasses so I used honey, it was still wonderful. What a blessing to have a thoughtful husband!
You said it! I can’t wait to see yours, I am seriously considering doing a weekly series of some kind on this book — I am crazy for the grapefruit and pomelo salads, too. Happy cooking!
I just got my copy and have been devouring it too – love this salad and your photos are amazing. I have read about the pomegranate molasses on your blog before but still haven’t found it. Right now I’m searching for pea shoots to make his beet salad! Love, love, love this cookbook and your post!
I literally have only gotten through the first few pages, and already I have four salads planned to make. He is awesome.
I LOVED “Jerusalem” and have made many of the recipes in it. I will see if I can find this one at the library. I am a pomegranate junkie and cannot get enough of them. (Here’s a tip: by far the best ones I get come from Costco. The ones at our higher-end supermarket here in NE Ohio are usually OK and the ones at Whole Foods rank lowest, consistently.)
Sue this looks SO good. It’s obviously a fall salad because of the pomegranates but it has a summery look to it. Beautiful photos!
Thanks Amy, I’ll check out Costco’s poms. I really love the surprise of the pale pink seeds, that happens now and then, not sure if it’s a separate variety or what. Ottolenghi’s salad is much deeper with the crimson seeds. Any way to shuffle it, the combination is incredible though.