Greek Heirloom Tomato Salad with Smokey Lemon Vinaigrette

This riff on a classic Greek salad is low lift and high reward— perfect for those afternoon summer lunches when heirloom tomatoes abound. I’ve bumped up the flavor factor with a smoky herbaceous dressing that’s made in the serving platter (less mess!) and by giving the red onions a quick pickle which enhances their sweetness and takes away some of that allium sharpness.

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Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

3-4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp kosher salt
½ tbsp sugar
2 shots sriracha or hot sauce
1 English cucumber, cut into ½” dice
7 oz feta
1 tbsp fresh dill fronds
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp mint leaves
Flaky sea salt

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for finishing
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

To pickle the red onions, combine water, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, sugar and sriracha in a small bowl, then add onions and let sit for an hour (or overnight in the fridge). If you’re in a rush, simmer the onions and liquid in a small pot for 3-5 minutes until softened and let cool in the fridge.

In a shallow serving bowl or platter with sides, add lemon juice, cumin, coriander, oregano, olive oil and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and English cucumber. Drain pickled red onions and add to bowl and toss until well coated with vinaigrette. Break feta up into bite sized shards atop, then garnish with dill, parsley and mint. Finish with a glug of olive oil and flaky sea salt and serve.