Easy tomato salad with celery and garlic

If you’ve never tried the combination of tomato and celery before, let me tell you – it’s GOOD! So much so, that one of my absolute favorite toppings for tomato soup is diced celery. The slightly salty flavor and crunchy texture of celery just works perfectly with anything tomato – this easy tomato salad with celery, garlic and basil being no exception.

This is very much a summer and fall salad. Because what’s the fun in making tomato salad with bland and tasteless out-of-season tomatoes? It’s not much fun at all!

On the other hand, there’s a lot of culinary fun to be had, when using perfectly ripe in-season tomatoes!

Tasting like the very essence of summer, ripe tomatoes don’t need much help to shine, when presented in simple salads like this one.

Typically some salt, fat and acid are all it takes to enhance the delicate natural flavors – vegetables, aromatics and whatever else used just being nice, but not necessary, add-ons.

Using only a handful of ingredients, this salad is easy and quick to put together – perfect for all your summer meals and anything BBQ!

I’m using garlic confit in the salad for a milder, sweeter garlic flavor (you can use roasted garlic too). If you have neither garlic confit nor roasted garlic, you can absolutely use a couple cloves of minced raw garlic instead.

Easy tomato salad with celery and garlic

Using only a handful of ingredients, this salad is easy and quick to put together – perfect for all your summer meals and anything BBQ!

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs / 900 g ripe large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4″ / 6 mm slices
• 4 small celery stalks, cut into 1/4″ / 6 mm slices
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/8″ / 3 mm slices (you can use marinated red onions too)
• 2 handfuls basil leaves, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp garlic confit or roasted garlic, chopped
• 4 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil (or use garlic oil from the confit)
• Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Arrange tomatoes, celery, onion, basil and pieces of garlic confit on a serving plate.
2. Dress with vinegar, olive oil and a very generous sprinkle of salt flakes and black pepper.
3. Enjoy!

Storage and shelf life

1. Leftover salad keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.

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