Tomato and Herb Salad with Marcona Almond Vinaigrette

I found this recipe last year hiding in the back of my new Food & Wine magazine, where it was mentioned as one of the 40 best of the year.  A bold statement like that always immediately sparks my attention, and I quickly took notice.  Tomatoes, almonds, herbs and a sharp, spicy vinaigrette…what wasn’t to love? The real question is why was this recipe buried in the back of the issue?!It’s almost blasphemy for me to make a tomato salad without some form of cheese-usually fresh mozzarella or burrata-but I decided to trust Food & Wine and just go with it.  The richness of the almond vinaigrette convinces you that it’s not necessary, but I won’t tell you not to add it if your heart tells you to.  That’s for you to decide.You cannot, must not, DO NOT make this unless you have the very best, ripest, sweetest summer tomatoes. Heirlooms are best, both for flavor and the stunning color they add to this dish.  I added some cherry tomatoes for visual contrast and even more sweetness.  Even better if they’re tomatoes fresh out of your garden that are just picked from the vine and still warm from the summer sun.

This salad takes a decidedly Spanish twist from the Marcona almonds; the original recipe uses standard almonds, but I adore Marcona almonds and thought they would make a great addition.  The vinaigrette starts with toasting the almonds in olive oil until golden and crisp, then repurposing that flavorful oil into the dressing.  Garlic, jalapeño, fresh lime juice and sherry (or red wine) vinegar round out the dressing.  All that’s required of you after that is to slice the tomatoes and red onion and tear-or to be honest, just throw-fresh herbs all over the top.

This is the height-of-summer salad of my dreams.

[tasty-recipe id=”36896″]