Love & Lemons founder and cookbook author Jeanine Donofrio is known for her produce-driven vegetarian recipes. Here, she keeps ripe heirloom tomatoes front and centre, pairing them with avocado, lime, sesame oil and toasted seeds for this easy, fresh salad.

“I frequent the farmers’ market as if it’s my church – every Sunday. And every week in the summer, I bring home as many colourful heirloom tomatoes as I can carry. It would be sacrilege to cover up their beauty with a complicated recipe. Instead, I use simple yet unexpected ingredients – lime juice, sesame oil and a toasted seed topping – to highlight their vibrant flavours.” –Jeanine Donofrio

Why You’ll Love This Salad

It lets heirloom tomatoes shine.: There’s no heavy dressing to compete with ripe tomatoes—just fresh lime juice, toasted sesame oil and flaky sea salt.
The toasted seeds bring the crunch: Pepitas, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are tossed with tamari and baked until golden and crisp.
Avocado makes it more substantial.: Creamy avocado balances the juicy tomatoes and crunchy seed topping, making this simple salad work for lunch or as a side.

A white plate with an avocado, heirloom tomato and grain salad

Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad

Jeanine Donofrio

An easy heirloom tomato salad with creamy avocado, lime, toasted sesame oil and a crunchy tamari seed topping.

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Ingredients

2 tbsp pepitas
2 tbsp raw hulled sunflower seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp tamari
2 lbs colourful heirloom tomatoes sliced
1 avocado thinly sliced
2 scallions thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
pinch flaky sea salt
microgreens for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the pepitas, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds on the baking sheet, toss with the tamari, and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown and toasty.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes to allow the seeds to crisp up.
Arrange the tomatoes on a large platter in a single layer, overlapping only slightly.
Top with the avocado slices and scallions and drizzle with the lime juice and sesame oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, the seed topping and microgreens.

Keyword heirloom tomato recipes, heirloom tomato salad, tomato and avocado salad, tomato avocado salad, tomato sesame salad

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© Excerpted from Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food Copyright © 2023 by Jeanine Donofrio. Published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.