This tomato salad with ranch dressing is one of my favorite summer dishes. Juicy sliced tomatoes, flaky salt, buttermilk ranch dressing, crispy shallots and lots of fresh herbs. It’s light, delicious, and the epitome of summer.
Could tomato season be any more perfect?!
This heirloom tomato salad is drizzled with ranch homemade buttermilk, topped with crispy, crunchy shallots, and sprinkled with tons of fresh herbs. The flavor combination is incredible – you’ll love the texture, crunch, sweetness and overall summer-on-a-plate feeling.
Right now, here in Pennsylvania, tomatoes are super juicy, sweet, and almost candy-y. They taste fabulous on their own, they’re perfect for BLTs and salads and we just can’t get enough.
If you have a copy of Daily dinners, you know I have a simple tomato salad in the book — it’s called my mom’s tomato salad because she made it every summer. It’s their version of a caprese, but with blue cheese. She made it almost every night during the summer, and while I didn’t get on board with tomatoes back then, she and my dad ate it constantly.
Now I do it all the time!
And that’s kind of a variation on that. Good, ripe heirloom tomatoes. my ranch dressing, made with buttermilk. Some crispy crunchy shallots. Lots of fresh herbs and that’s it.
It’s so fragrant. Super refreshing, lots of texture from the shallots and simply an all-round feel-good summer dish. It’s easy and pretty simple.
Here’s how to go down!
I make my ranch dressing and use buttermilk instead of regular old milk. I LOVE THIS RANCH. It’s true, I didn’t even like ranch until I started making this one. Would I dip anything in ranch before this recipe? no Now I want to soak all my food at the ranch forever and ever. Either way, you can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. This is another recipe I use my Nutribullet for. It comes together so quickly.
Crack the shallots! I put some olive oil in a pan and slice the shallots thinly. Then I cook them right in this pan—no frying. Do not leave the pan, stay right on it and toss the shallots a little. They turn out so golden, crispy, crunchy and hearty. The perfect topping for sweet and juicy tomatoes!
Lots of herbs. I mean many. I like to make fresh chives, basil, parsley. You can really use whatever you have in the garden! These are my favourites.
I cut perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes into ½ inch slices. Not too thick, not too thin. Lots of flaky salt. Drizzle with the ranch, sprinkle with the shallots, sprinkle over the herbs. Then eat.
My mouth is watering just looking at this beautiful salad. It’s salty and crunchy, juicy and sweet. You get a fresh bite from the herbs and it’s just amazing. All of these flavors work together to create summer heaven. It’s a salad I wish I had every day!
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch
This tomato salad with ranch dressing is one of my favorite summer dishes. Juicy sliced tomatoes, flaky lettuce, buttermilk ranch dressing, crispy shallots and lots of fresh herbs. It’s light, delicious, and the epitome of summer.
Buttermilk Ranch
- 1 Cup Plain yogurt or sour cream
- ½ Cup mayonnaise
- ½ Cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoon fresh chives or 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill herb
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- large pinch of kosher salt and pepper
salad
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into ½ inch rounds
- fresh chives, to top
- fresh basil, to top
- fresh parsley, to top
Buttermilk Ranch
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Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until pureed and combined. Store in a sealed container in the fridge – it makes more than you need for this salad. That takes about a week! If you don’t want the extra, cut the recipe in half.
salad
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Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the thinly sliced shallots and toss. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, turning constantly. Reduce the heat slightly and bake for a further 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain excess fat. If you have leftover shallots after using, I usually store them in a sealed container in the fridge.
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Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. I like flaky salt here, but it’s not a must. Drizzle with the ranch dressing. Top with the crispy shallots. Scatter over the chives, basil and parsley. Meal!
