Tomato Salad with Capers and Basil

My go to tomato salad every summer is simply tomatoes, olive oil, fresh mozzarella, basil, and salt. Sometimes the cheese and olive oil are optional. When tomatoes are fresh from the garden or farmers market they rarely need anything other than a little salt to make them exceptional. However, I do like to mix it up, especially when pairing with another dish it can be nice to dress things up a bit (pun intended).

I served this salad with creamy and cheesy spaetzle. The caper and vinegary dressing were a perfect match to the rich and creamy noodle dish.

Tomato Salad with Capers and Basil

Adapted from Epicurious

Serves 2-3 as a side salad

1 Tbsp minced shallots or onion
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp kosher salt, plus more
1/8 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 large ripe beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2" slices
1/2 - 1 Tbsp rinsed capers, chopped or whole
Freshly ground black pepper
5-10 fresh medium basil leaves, torn or sliced into pieces

1. Combine shallots or onion, vinegar, salt, sugar, and olive oil in a jar with a lid. Put the lid on tightly and shake until emulsified. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to mellow the shallots/onion.

2. Arrange tomatoes on a platter. Sprinkle capers over, season with salt and pepper. Scatter basil on top. Whisk or shake vinaigrette again and drizzle over the salad. This can be chilled for 5-10 minutes, but any longer and you may lose flavor in your tomatoes, I recommend serving as soon as possible.

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PS- I’m not sure this salad has anything to do with Austria, but it came up in a Google search and was a lovely complement to the cheesy spaetzle, so here it will live for now. I would likely say this is a salad of no particular country, so feel free to serve it with whatever meal you see fit!