Tomato Avocado Salad

You'll love this refreshing tomato and avocado salad, with a simple vinaigrette, shallots and fresh herbs. This salad is absolute perfection. The tomatoes are juicy and sweet and pair so well with the creamy avocados.

I adore the flavors of tomato, avocado and basil together. With a vibrant dressing to go along with the salad, it is absolutely amazing. When you can find great tomatoes and avocados, take advantage of that to make this salad. Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best.

Tomatoes are so juicy and sweet, having just the right amount of acidity. When you toss them with garlic, shallots, vinegar and fresh herbs, they will release their natural juices even more and create a natural vinaigrette that is divine. I spoon it right over the avocados, giving them all that wonderful flavor.

Not only is this salad wonderful on its own, it complements so many other recipes really well too. Try it with poultry, seafood and red meat, because it is just the right kind of salad that is a great team player. It's equally great with healthy, light recipes, such as Grilled Chicken Breast or Poached Salmon, but is also wonderful with more comforting recipes, like Beef Goulash or Potato and Chicken Casserole.

Ingredients:

• tomatoes
  • any kind of tomatoes will be great in this salad. When tomatoes are in season, I try to find ones that are larger tomatoes, such as heirloom tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine. When tomatoes are not in season, I prefer to get grape tomatoes. They are sweeter, juicier and have more flavor.
• shallot
  • shallots are sweeter and more mild than onions, so I like to use those whenever I can in salads. Red onions, vidalia onions or even yellow onions will also work, but they will have more of a bite. Sometimes I even use green onions, instead of shallots or onions.
• garlic
• olive oil
• lemon juice (lime juice works great too)
• balsamic vinegar (I often use red wine vinegar too)
• fresh parsley (or cilantro)
• avocados
• fresh basil
• salt, ground black pepper

How To Make Tomato and Avocado Salad

1. Gently toss the sliced tomatoes, sliced shallot and smashed garlic clove with the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside for about 5 minutes.
   • Adding the smashed clove of garlic and letting the salad stand for 5 minutes will allow all the flavors to meld and infuse into the tomatoes without becoming overpowering. I love garlic, but too much of it is a crime. I often use this trick by mildly seasoning the dish that I am preparing with the smashed garlic clove, and then taking it out. You'll have the garlic flavor, but not the garlic breath that will stick with you for the rest of the day and even give you nightmares. True story.
   • Bonus Tip: When juicing a lemon, squeeze it over the palm of your hand or use a citrus juicer. You will catch all the seeds before they fall into your salad.
2. Slice the avocados.
   • If you mix the avocados and the tomatoes together right away, the salad will become mushy, creamy and look sort of lumpy. Not that that's bad, but it won't look very appetizing. This doesn't stop me when I'm making myself this salad as a snack, but when I want something that will look appealing too, I add the avocados last.
3. Plate the salad by carefully scooping out the tomatoes and shallots from the salad bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid behind, and placing them on your serving plate. Discard the garlic clove.
4. Place the avocado slices on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle some of the salad liquid over the avocado slices.
   • This is sort of a tomato vinaigrette. It is divine. The acidity in it from the lemon juice and vinegar will help to keep the avocados from turning brown too quickly also.
5. Add the basil leaves to the salad. Serve immediately.

Try using these easy pickled red onions to the salad instead of the shallots. They are so vibrant and pretty, but also taste amazing. Plus, the pickling takes out the raw bite from the onion.

What to Serve With Tomato Avocado Salad

• Easy Tuna Salad
• Grilled Chicken
• Poached Salmon
• Roasted Chicken Thighs With Potatoes

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