Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch and Crispy Shallots.
This tomato salad with ranch dressing is one of my favorite summer meals. Juicy sliced heirloom tomatoes, flaky salt, buttermilk ranch dressing, crispy shallots and tons of fresh herbs. It’s light, delicious and the epitome of summer.
Could tomato season be any more perfect?!
This heirloom tomato salad is drizzled with a homemade buttermilk ranch, topped with crispy, crunchy shallots and sprinkled with tons of fresh herbs. The flavor combination is incredible – you will love the texture, crunch, sweetness and overall summer-on-a-plate feeling.
Right now, here in Pennsylvania, tomatoes are super juicy, sweet and almost candy-like. They taste fabulous on their own, they’re perfect for BLTs and salads and we just can’t get enough.
If you have a copy of Everyday Dinners, you know that I have an easy tomato salad in the book – it’s called My Mom’s Tomato Salad because she made it every summer. It’s her take on a caprese but with blue cheese. She would make it nearly every night in the summer and while I couldn’t get on board with tomatoes back then, she and my dad would eat it constantly.
Now, I make it all the time!
And this is somewhat of a variation on that. Good, ripe heirlooms tomatoes. My ranch dressing, made with buttermilk. Some crispy crunchy shallots. Lots of fresh herbs and that is it.
It’s so flavorful. Super refreshing, lots of texture from the shallots and just an all around feel good summer meal. It’s light and pretty easy.
Here’s how it goes down!
I make my ranch dressing and use buttermilk instead of regular old milk. I LOVE THIS RANCH. It’s true, I didn’t even enjoy ranch until I started making this one. Would I dip anything in ranch before this recipe? No. Now I want to drench all my food in ranch forever and ever. Anyway, you can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge. This is another recipe that I use my nutribullet for. It comes together so so fast.
Crisp up the shallots! I add a bit of olive oil to a pan and thinly slice the shallots. Then I cook them right in that skillet – no deep frying. Don’t leave the skillet, stay right on top of it, and toss the shallots a bit. They become so golden, crisp, crunchy and savory. The perfect topping for sweet and juicy tomatoes!
Lots of herbs. I mean, lots. I like to do fresh chives, basil, parsley. You can really use whatever you have in the garden! Those are my favorites.
I slice perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes into ½ inch slices. Not too thick, not too thin. Lots of flaky salt. Drizzle with the ranch, sprinkle with the shallots, throw on the herbs. Then EAT.
My mouth is watering just looking at this gorgeous salad. It’s salty and crunchy, juicy and sweet. You get a fresh bite from the herbs and it’s just incredible. All these flavors work together to create summer heaven. It’s a salad I wish I could have everyday!
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch
Ingredients
buttermilk ranch
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives or 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- big pinch kosher salt and pepper
salad
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into ½ inch rounds
- fresh chives, for topping
- fresh basil, for topping
- fresh parsley, for topping
Instructions
buttermilk ranch
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until pureed and combined. Store in the fridge in a sealed container- it makes more than you need for this salad. This lasts for about a week! If you don’t want the extra, cut the recipe in half.
salad
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the thinly sliced shallots and toss. Cook, tossing constantly for 5 or 6 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain excess grease. If you have extra shallots after using them, I usually store them in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Slice the tomatoes and cover all over with salt and pepper. I like flaky salt here, but it’s not a must. Drizzle with the ranch dressing. Top with the crispy shallots. Sprinkle on the chives, basil and parsley. Eat!
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One Comment on “Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch and Crispy Shallots.”
absolutely delicious and perfect for summer dinner, also with last minute guests!!!