GREEK CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

By

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Published July 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For a cherry tomato salad recipe that wasn’t soggy, it was necessary to get rid of some of the tomato juice without throwing away flavor. So we quartered, salted, and drained the tomatoes before whirling them in a salad spinner to separate the seeds and jelly from the flesh. After we strained and discarded the seeds, we reduced the jelly to a flavorful concentrate, reuniting it with the tomatoes, minus the excess liquid.

SERVES 4 TO 6
If in-season cherry tomatoes are unavailable, substitute vine-ripened cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes from the supermarket. Cut grape tomatoes in half along the equator (rather than quartering them). If you don’t have a salad spinner, after the salted tomatoes have stood for 30 minutes, wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and gently shake to remove seeds and excess liquid. Strain the liquid and proceed with the recipe as directed. The amount of liquid given off by the tomatoes will depend on their ripeness. If you have less than 1/2 cup of juice after spinning, proceed with the recipe using the entire amount of juice and reduce it to 3 tablespoons as directed (the cooking time will be shorter).

View complete recipe

  • 4

Ingredients

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes , ripe, quartered (about 4 cups) (see note)
  • Table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 small cucumber , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 4 ounces feta cheese , crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation

Step 1

1. Toss tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sugar in medium bowl; let stand for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until seeds and excess liquid have been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, stirring to redistribute tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl and set aside. Strain tomato liquid through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
2. Bring 1/2 cup tomato liquid (discard any extra), garlic, oregano, shallot, and vinegar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to 3 tablespoons, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil and pepper to taste until combined. Taste and season with up to 1/8 teaspoon table salt.
3. Add cucumber, olives, feta, dressing, and parsley to bowl with tomatoes; toss gently and serve.

RECIPE TESTING

AVOIDING WATERLOGGED CHERRY TOMATO SALAD


1. Spin
Spinning the quartered tomatoes in a salad spinner removes excess
liquid that can make salad watery.

2. Reduce
Simmering the strained tomato liquid creates a concentrated tomato base for the vinaigrette.

View complete recipe