Three kinds of tomatoes, green peppers, whole-grain croutons and fresh mozzarella make a refreshing summer salad. You could eat it without dressing, or toss it with a little extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar–it’s up to you.

Three-tomato salad with peppers, whole-grain croutons and Mozzarella di Bufala

One-plate meals are par for the course in our household. And once warm weather hits Barcelona (where we don’t have central heat, or air) cold or room temperature salads account for one meal a day, usually lunch. But we can only eat so many lettuce salads with tuna packed in olive oil before I start to feel like I’m in a food prison, so I try to switch it up as often as possible.

Coming into summer, local green grocers have amazing prices on all sorts of tomatoes. Green tomatoes for .99 €/kilo, 500 grams of cherry tomatoes for 1€….vine-riped plum tomatoes for 1.09€/ kilo. I kind of feel like I’m in tomato heaven.

Caprese salad is a great way to eat tomatoes and fresh mozzarella (buffalo milk mozzarella is best), but J. (the husband) doesn’t really like basil, and I’ve gotten kind of bored with it, anyway.

So the other day I took the plunge and spent some spare cash on my favorite fruit: tomatoes. I bought cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and massive green tomatoes bigger than my two fists held together. Then I chopped them and mixed them with thin slices of green pepper, and my version of homemade whole-wheat croutons (toast bread until crunchy and cut into chunks) and topped it all off with a few slices of fresh mozzarella di bufala, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a spritz of balsamic vinegar. For a tomato and cheese-lover this is salad perfection.

Recipe for Three-Tomato Salad with Green Peppers, Whole-grain Croutons and Mozzarella di Buffalo

Three kinds of tomatoes, green peppers, whole-grain croutons and fresh mozzarella make a refreshing summer salad.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 1 large green tomato
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 plum tomatoes
• ½ cup green pepper slices
• 2 thick slices whole-grain bread
• 200g Fresh Mozzarella
• 1tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Dice green tomato.
2. Cut cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes into wedges.
3. Cut pepper into thin slices
4. Cut mozzarella into thick slices
5. Toast bread until crunchy, then cut into large chunks for the “croutons”
6. Toss vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
7. Add in croutons and top with slices of mozzarella.
8. Sprinkle on salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Extra Tips and Serving Suggestions

• This dish serves four as a side or a first course
• Skip the croutons, for gluten-free and low-carb versions or use gluten-free or low-carb bread to make them.
• This is a vegetarian dish. Make it vegan by switching the cheese with flavorful raw macadamia nuts or another nut of your choice.
• Tomatoes expensive where you are? Sub your favorite diced canned tomatoes for the plum tomatoes.
• Spice up this salad with thin onion slices, minced garlic, and fresh red pepper.
• Add in fresh mint or basil for extra flavor.