Today, I’m sharing one of my absolute favorite summer dishes with you: a Colorful Tomato & Pomegranate Salad (Fresh, Sweet & Crunchy!), fresh mint, and crisp onions. To bring out all those amazing flavors, I dress it with high-quality olive oil, rich pomegranate balsam, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Flor de Sal, and a pinch of lemon pepper.
When it comes to tomatoes, I love them all! Big, small, or bursting with flavor, whether they are bright red, golden yellow, deep purple, or vibrant orange. But heirloom tomatoes hold a truly special place in my heart.
For this recipe, I brought together every variety I could find. Some I grew from seeds myself, and others I picked up at the local farmer’s market. Right now, tomatoes are at their absolute peak season. They’re juicy, naturally sweet, and have just the right touch of refreshing acidity.
WHY USE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF TOMATOES?
This colorful tomato salad is a delicious mix of beefsteak (Coeur de Boeuf), vine-ripened, Roma, cherry, plum, and heirloom tomatoes in all different shapes, colors, and sizes. Using sun-ripened tomatoes is key here! They give you the rich, authentic summer flavor that turns a simple salad into a gourmet treat.
Each tomato variety brings something unique to the bowl:
- Yellow tomatoes: Mild and fruity with very little acidity.
- Orange tomatoes: Bright, sweet, and wonderfully tangy.
- Green tomatoes: Crisp, tangy, and refreshingly sharp.
- Red-purple tomatoes: Rich, deep, and savory.
- Beefsteak tomatoes (Coeur de Boeuf): Super juicy, aromatic, and balanced with a slight bite of acidity.
Mixing these varieties creates an exciting blend of textures and flavors in every bite!
LOOKING FOR MORE FRESH TOMATO RECIPES?
If you love fresh summer tomatoes as much as I do, try these reader favorites on the blog:
- Tomato Salad with Pomegranate Sumac Dressing: A refreshing, crunchy twist on classic salads.
- Salad Shirazi: A vibrant Persian tomato and cucumber salad full of herbs.
- Savory Tomato Tart: Not a salad, but hands-down our favorite way to bake with summer tomatoes!
THE SECRET TO THE BEST TOMATO SALAD DRESSING
A great salad starts with a great dressing! For this colorful tomato salad, I use only top-quality ingredients that bring out the best in fresh tomatoes:
- Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I love using Papagallos Agureleo extra virgin olive oil. Nikos Gallos harvests these organic olives on his family groves in Greece, cold-presses the oil, bottles it, and brings it directly to our local farmers’ market here in Darmstadt. It adds a rich, fruity depth to the dressing.
- Flor de Sal from Mallorca*: I always bring back Flor de Sal d’es Trenc whenever I visit Mallorca. Harvested in the Salinas de Es Trenc nature reserve, it’s one of the purest sea salts you can find. Another absolute favorite of mine is their Lemon & Lavender sea salt*, which gives dishes a delicate herbal, citrus touch.
- Lemon Pepper*: A wonderful blend of cracked black pepper and zesty lemon citrus. It gives the salad a gentle heat with a bright, refreshing kick.
- Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar & Fresh Lemon Juice: Pomegranate balsam has a rich, sweet-exotic flavor. To balance that sweetness with a crisp bite, I add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Combining these special pantry staples turns a simple summer salad into an unforgettable dish!
HEALTH BENEFITS OF TOMATOES
Not only are tomatoes vibrant and delicious, but they are also a nutritional powerhouse! Incorporating fresh summer tomatoes into your diet offers fantastic health benefits:
- Energy & Brain Power: Loaded with essential B-vitamins to boost concentration, alongside iron to naturally elevate your energy levels.
- Heart & Vascular Protection: Folic acid helps prevent arterial plaque buildup, while potassium plays a key role in regulating healthy blood pressure.
- Natural Cell & Sun Protection: Packed with lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells and helps defend your skin against sun damage—especially during hot summer days.
- Hydrating & Detoxifying: Made up of roughly 95% water, tomatoes provide deep hydration while acting as a natural diuretic to flush out toxins.
زرچین
ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL PERSIAN MEDICINE (TEB-E SONATI)
In Teb-e Sonati, tomatoes have a cold and wet (Sard-o-Tar) temperament. Because of their cooling and hydrating properties, raw tomatoes are ideal for balancing hot and dry temperaments, making them perfect for beating the heat on warm summer days. To balance their naturally cold nature (sardi), traditional practices recommend pairing raw tomatoes with warming ingredients like olive oil, black pepper, onions, or aromatic herbs (just like in this recipe!).
INGREDIENTS FOR COLORFUL TOMATO SALAD
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BASE
900 g / 2 lbs mixed fresh sunriped tomatoes in various shapes, sizes, and colors (such as beefsteak/Coeur de Boeuf, cherry, heirloom, green, plum, yellow, and orange)
1 Shallot or Red Onion, finely sliced
1 Pomegranate, deseeded
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
4 tbsp Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar*
2 tbsp fresh Lemon, squeezed
Sea Salt & Pepper: Flor de Sal* and lemon pepper*, to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING
Fresh Mint: 1 small bunch, coarsely chopped or torn
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
PREP THE TOMATOES
Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and remove the stems. Cut them into different shapes and sizes to give the salad a fun, rustic look. Slice the large tomatoes, quarter the medium ones, and simply cut cherry tomatoes in half.
PREP THE REMAINING FRESH INGREDIENTS
Peel the shallot (or red onion) and thinly slice it.
Quarter the pomegranate and remove the seeds.
Wash the fresh mint leaves, pat them dry thoroughly, and pick the leaves off the stems.
MAKE THE DRESSING
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate balsamic cream, and fresh lemon juice until well combined.
ASSEMBLE & SERVE
Arrange the tomato slices on a large serving platter or bowl.
Drizzle the freshly made dressing evenly over the tomatoes.
Top with sliced shallots, pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint leaves.
Finish with a gentle sprinkle of Flor de Sal and zesty lemon pepper right before serving!
Befarmayid!
Susan
The items marked with * are affiliate links, referral links. If you buy through this link, I get a small commission. The price stays the same for you and you can easily support my efforts. A big thank you ♥
Colorful Tomato & Pomegranate Salad (Fresh, Sweet & Crunchy!)
For this recipe, I brought together every variety of tomatoes I could find.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR COLORFUL TOMATO SALAD
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD BASE
- 900 g / 2 lbs mixed sun-riped tomatoes in various shapes, sizes, and colors (such as beefsteak/Coeur de Boeuf, cherry, heirloom, green, plum, yellow, and orange)
- 1 Shallot or Red Onion finely sliced
- 1 Pomegranate deseeded
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING
- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 tbsp Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
- Sea Salt & Pepper Flor de Sal and lemon pepper, to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING
- 1 bunch Fresh Mint coarsely chopped or torn
Instructions
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
PREP THE TOMATOES
-
Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and remove the stems.
-
Cut them into different shapes and sizes to give the salad a fun, rustic look. Slice the large tomatoes, quarter the medium ones, and simply cut cherry tomatoes in half.
PREP THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS
-
Peel the shallot (or red onion) and thinly slice it.
-
Quarter the pomegranate and remove the seeds.
-
Wash the fresh mint leaves, pat them dry thoroughly, and pick the leaves off the stems.
MAKE THE DRESSING
-
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate balsamic cream, and fresh lemon juice until well combined.
ASSEMBLE & SERVE
-
Arrange the tomato slices on a large serving platter or bowl.
-
Drizzle the freshly made dressing evenly over the tomatoes.
-
Top with sliced shallots, pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint leaves.
-
Finish with a gentle sprinkle of Flor de Sal and zesty lemon pepper right before serving!
Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe and use the hashtag#labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.
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