Peak summer tomatoes deserve a vinaigrette this good.

If you’ve got gorgeous summer tomatoes, congratulations—you’ve already done 95% of the work. This recipe is basically me telling those tomatoes, “Go off.”

Instead of drowning them in a million ingredients, we’re tossing them with a bright, punchy chimichurri vinaigrette that’s loaded with parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, a little honey, and just enough Calabrian chile to wake everything up. Then we let the tomatoes hang out for about 10 minutes so they can soak up every last bit of that goodness. (Don’t skip this part. They’re socializing.)

This is the tomato salad I make on repeat all summer because it goes with literally everything coming off the grill. Chicken? Yep. Steak? Absolutely. Burgers? You bet. Or do what I do and tear off a piece of crusty bread to drag through all that leftover vinaigrette at the bottom of the bowl. Frankly, that’s half the reason I make it.

If your garden is overflowing or you got a little overexcited at the farmers market (been there), this one’s for you.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes (you can use whatever kind of tomato you have on hand), sliced into chunks or halved
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp Calabrian chilis, chopped
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves and stems, finely chopped
kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Method

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, honey, oregano, Calabrian chiles, and red wine vinegar. Add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
To the same bowl, combine the tomatoes and chimichurri vinaigrette. Let stand about 10-20 minutes at room temperature, then serve!

Enjoy!

Cortney

Cortney LaCorte

Cortney LaCorte is the creator of CheeseGal, a food and entertaining blog born in her Nashville kitchen that celebrates cheese, charcuterie and joyful gatherings