Anything-Goes Summer Salad with Burnt Tomato Dressing
A juicy tomato salad that’s been soaking in sun-warmed olive oil – so moreish that the leftover dressing is good enough to drink. Blend the tomatoes into the dressing and pour it over the spicy leaves and crisp vegetables of your choice. Green beans and courgettes are used as the base here since they soak up oil so well, but anything goes!
Ingredients
- 500 g mix of crisp salad leaves
- 2 courgettes, sliced thinly lengthways and rubbed with olive oil
- 100 g green beans or runner beans
- 2 tbsp capers, drained (or rinsed if packed in salt)
- 50 g almonds, toasted
- 6 tbsp goat’s curd, to serve (optional)
- salt and pepper
For the dressing:
- 2 large ripe tomatoes
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1⁄2 tsp sugar
- 1⁄2 tsp flaked sea salt
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- First make the dressing. Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds (no need for perfection here). Place the tomatoes in a pan with a little oil and salt and heat on high until the skin blackens a little and the juices start to run. Tip them into a blender with the remaining dressing ingredients and season to taste with salt.
- Heat a griddle pan or barbecue on high and, when smoking, add the oily courgettes. Cook until charred on each side, then add to a serving bowl. Cook the green beans in a pan of boiling water for 2 mins so that they still have a little crunch. Drain and add to the courgettes.
- Stir through the capers and almonds, then toss through the tomato dressing. If there’s time, leave to marinate until ready to serve (up to 2 hours at room temperature), then toss through the leaves just before you take the salad to the table, topping with the goat’s curd, if using.