A white plate with an avocado, tomato and grain salad
Photography, Eva Kolenko

Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad

Simple yet unexpected ingredients highlight the beauty of heirloom tomatoes.

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

A white plate with an avocado, tomato and grain salad

Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad

Jeanine Donofrio's easy summer salad recipe, with heirloom tomatoes, avocado and roasted seeds.

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.

A white and green cookbook cover in a tan frame

© 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.
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