Heirloom Tomato Salad with Whipped Feta and Balsamic

This is an incredible heirloom tomato salad recipe with juicy heirloom tomatoes, whipped feta sauce, fresh arugula, and small batch maple balsamic dressing.

When you find beautifully ripe heirloom tomatoes, you treat them like royalty. Heirloom tomatoes are easiest to find during the height of summer – at farm stands, your favorite local farmers market, and sometimes your regular grocery store. This recipe is one of my favorite ways to showcase their beautiful flavor and texture, and elevates the experience of enjoying them!

This is one of those simple recipes that delivers big on flavor. I created this creamy whipped feta sauce for a baked pesto turkey meatballs recipe a couple of months ago, but it’s so good that I was determined to find more ways to use it. Thus, this fresh heirloom tomato salad was created. It makes one large salad (perfect for two people to share), and comes together in about 20 minutes. Serve it at room temperature for optimal flavor!

What are Heirloom Tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes are a variety of tomatoes that haven’t been messed with (read: they haven’t been altered by genetic modification to look perfectly round, red, or uniform). Heirlooms grow freely through natural pollination (from bees, birds, etc.), and they’re a bit wild-looking: multi-colored, deep grooves, and various rich, gorgeous colors (like green, purple, deep red, etc.). The flavor of an heirloom tomato is richer, sweeter, and much different, too; it’s so fresh, vibrant, and absolutely packed with flavor. If you compared a generic tomato to an heirloom … well, there isn’t a comparison.

How are Heirloom Tomatoes Different from Commercial Tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes are quite the opposite of commercial tomatoes. A lot of the regular tomatoes we consume, such as the ones that are available year-round at the grocery store, have been genetically modified to be perfectly round and bright red … mainly because we’ve been conditioned to think that’s what a tomato should look like. Modified tomatoes tend to be watery, relatively tasteless (when compared to an heirloom), and they’ve been bred to resist diseases, so their flesh is hard, their skins are thick, and they’re just not great overall. 

Heirloom tomatoes are free to naturally reproduce, and their genetics haven’t been modified to fit a certain mold. Heirloom tomatoes are also a direct replication of their parent plants, rather than a cross-bred production of various plants. In my opinion, they’re the most delicious tomatoes out there.

Where can I find Heirloom Tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes are mostly available at local markets (farmers markets are particularly great for finding beautiful, locally sourced heirloom tomatoes) during the summer months, when all summer tomatoes are at their best. You can also look for beautiful heirloom tomatoes at local markets or local grocery stores. I’ve found heirlooms in our regional grocery chains once, so they can pop up in many places.

I usually gravitate towards large heirloom tomatoes because they’re perfect for slicing in salads (such as this one) or in a caprese salad with some fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar. There are also a variety of heirloom cherry tomatoes, such as Black Cherry, Mirabelle Blanche, Sweetie, and Yellow Pear, that are gorgeous and perfect for snacking!

Ingredients for this Salad

• 2 large Heirloom Tomatoes
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• pinch of Flaky Sea Salt
• pinch of freshly cracked Black Pepper
• Whipped Feta Sauce (also included in the ‘notes’ section of the recipe card)
  • 1/4 cup Crumbled Feta
  • 2 tbsp. Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 2 tbsp. Whipped Cream Cheese
  • 1 tsp. fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/9 tsp. dried Oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. Honey or Agave Syrup
  • 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper to taste
• 1 cup fresh Arugula
• Balsamic Vinaigrette (store-bought or the linked homemade version!)
• Toasted Breadcrumbs (optional, but delicious!)
  • 1 tsp. Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

PLEASE NOTE: If you’re not into making a whipped feta or you don’t have the time / equipment, just sprinkle crumbled feta across the plate in place of the whipped feta!

Do I have to use Heirloom Tomatoes?

Well, no. Of course not. But it’s kind of the star of the show in this recipe, so if you can find some then you should get them. You only need two for this recipe, and they will MAKE this simple salad taste unbelievable. You’ll never look at tomatoes the same way again, and you’ll probably be an heirloom tomato lover for life. If you don’t want to use them or can’t find them, any large, ripe tomatoes will do.

How to Make this Salad

1. Slice the fresh tomatoes and spread the slices onto a plate. Sprinkle with a healthy pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then drizzle extra virgin olive oil over them. Just a drizzle of olive oil will do, and one teaspoon per tomato is just about right. Let the tomato slices marinate for at least 15 minutes (but up to an hour) while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Make the whipped feta sauce. (You can find that recipe right here, and I’ve included it in the ‘notes’ section of the recipe card at the bottom of this post!)
3. If making a homemade dressing, combine all ingredients for the balsamic dressing in a small jar and shake vigorously to combine. (Recipe is here, but also included in the recipe card below!) Otherwise have the store-bought balsamic dressing nearby.
4. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of creamy feta sauce across a platter. Transfer the slices of tomato on top of the sauce, then top the tomatoes with fresh arugula. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette, and finish with a touch of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper OR toasted breadcrumbs!
5. To Make Toasted Breadcrumbs: Pour one teaspoon of olive oil into a small pan over medium-low heat. Once the oil is warm, sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning. Stir the breadcrumbs into the oil to coat them, then cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until they turn golden brown. Stir often so the breadcrumbs brown evenly. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to drain any excess oil.

This salad is actually a few recipes within a recipe, but they’re all so beautiful together and need to be shared that way! I have the feta cheese sauce and balsamic vinaigrette posted separately because I’ve found that readers love to use those recipes individually, and then incorporate them into other recipes. Although the ingredients aren’t listed in this blog post for those recipes, they are listed in the recipe card below for convenience sake.

Do I need to Marinate the Tomatoes?

For the best flavor, yes. I consider this to be a marinated heirloom tomato salad in a way, because it tastes best when the tomatoes marinate with the salt and olive oil for at least 15 minutes (or up to an hour) before serving them. The salt draws out the juices of the tomato, which amplifies the taste of them. The olive oil coats the tomatoes in a velvety texture, which enhances every bite. It’s worth the wait to marinate these tomatoes for a little bit, I promise.

If you get hooked on these tomatoes and want to try them with other flavors, you absolutely should! I recommend still marinating them for about ten minutes with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt and pepper first, but here are a few ideas to add on top and create some other super simple heirloom tomato recipes:

• thinly sliced red onions
• fresh herbs (such as fresh basil, oregano, or thyme)
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• goat cheese (crumbled or soft)
• creamy burrata cheese
• fresh mozzarella

If you make the Heirloom Tomato Salad and love it, I would love it if you left a rating and comment below! If you have questions about any of the ingredients or the process, feel free to shoot me an email so I can get back to you ASAP. Tag me on Instagram if you post it, too!

xx Sara