There are all kinds of salads to enjoy in all seasons, but a flavorful, elegant summer salad just seems to satisfy flavor cravings – especially on the hottest days of the year where you need a refresh! A sweeter summer salad is here to change your dinner plans.
This Sweet Tomato, Watermelon & Beet Salad from Sergio Howland is guaranteed to become a staple on your menu for summer nights on the patio and backyard dinner parties with friends. With a simple, yet incredibly flavorful combination of fresh ingredients, this salad is nothing short of gourmet.
Sergio pairs three fresh fruits and vegetables known for their natural sweetness: watermelon, beets, and Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes. Individually, each of these ingredients offer different levels of sweetness with truly unique flavors, but together they create an entirely new experience.
To understand what makes this summer salad so unique and delicious, all you need to do is taste a Cloud 9® Tomato. Each is a truly a Tiny Taste of Heaven™.
These bite-sized snacking tomatoes are known for their award-winning flavor and sweetness. In fact, they’ve been named a 2021 Winner of the International Taste Institute’s Superior Taste Award, awarded by the world’s most professional jury of taste experts. They’ve also been awarded the ChefsBest® Excellence Award after a rigorous Sensory Attribute Quality Analysis™.
Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes are a chef’s favorite tomato – for snacking, yes, but also for creating delicious food people love! Professional Chefs like Rick Paniagua, who makes a delicious Tomato Salad with Sesame Tuna, and Michael Lanzerotte, who shared his Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Sauce, are some of the experienced chefs that love to cook with these snacking tomatoes.
“Cloud 9® Tomatoes are outstanding on their own and when combined with the other ingredients you truly see them shine and can appreciate the complexity of their flavor,” said Chef Rick Paniagua.
That ability to combine the sweet, fruity flavor of Cloud 9® Tomatoes with other fresh ingredients is exactly why Sergio chose them in his Sweet Tomato, Watermelon & Beet Salad. It’s a match made in heaven!
Sergio starts by preheating a pan with olive oil. When the oil is sizzling, he adds slices of beets. Like Sergio, you can use a mix of colorful golden and red beets, or use what you have available. After two minutes, the beets will be lightly caramelized. Flip them and add fresh rosemary leaves. Then, it’s time to remove it from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Next, Sergio makes his homemade vinaigrette by mixing lemon juice and zest, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in extra virgin olive oil and the vinaigrette is done. Like this fresh summer salad, this vinaigrette is simple and delicious.
You can serve this salad as a side or on its own – it’s just that delicious! Simply mix the sweet Cloud 9® Tomatoes with golden beets, arugula and chopped watermelon before drizzling with vinaigrette. You need to reserve the red beets for now.
Once the salad is mixed, you can divide it into bowls for each dinner guests and, finally, add the red beets. Adding the red beets later helps to prevent them from “bleeding” their color.
Share this Sweet Tomato, Watermelon & Beet Salad with friends and family this weekend – you’ll be the designated chef at every backyard party this summer. Follow Sergio’s recipe by clicking here and next time you can make it your own!
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