Mediterranean Tomato Salad
A fresh Mediterranean Tomato Salad with Za’atar Pita Chips is a delicious salad or side dish. Add chicken or lamb to bring it up a notch!
Friends, today I made a tasty dish from my friend’s new cookbook: Weeknight Gourmet Dinners, by Meseidy Rivera.
This Mediterranean Tomato Salad is one of my favorite recipes during this time of year, when we’re eating late-garden tomatoes. I love shopping at our local grocery story in Bend, which carries the finest produce!
Making a Mediterranean Salad
My favorite aspect of this recipe is the toasted pita bread. Toasting the pita wedges in oil and seasoning not only gives them extra flavor and texture, but also allows them to hold their shape when served with the wetter ingredients. The final product is refreshing and delicious!
And gourmet? For the nights you want a fancier dish to serve, Meseidy’s book is for you! She makes all of her recipes doable for anyone, easy to make in your own kitchen. I love that I learned quite a bit by reading her recipes and notes.
I first met Meseidy at my friend Ree Drummond’s ranch. We spent the weekend cooking together, and it was so fun!
Meseidy takes regular weeknight meals, and makes them a little more elegant. I love this!
Ingredients for this Tomato Salad
Use Sweet Campri tomatoes, quartered and tossed in a lemon dressing with briny capers, peppery red onion, parsley leaves, and zapata. These ingredients are pretty good in a Chopped Greek Salad, too.
- Campari or Roma tomatoes, quartered
- Capers
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Feta cheese
- Za’atar
What is Za’atar?
Za’atar is a spice made up of dried oregano, thyme, and/or marjoram, with sumac and toasted sesame seeds. It’s a combo of nutty and rich. It’s used as a seasoning for meats and vegetables, and delicious sprinkled on hummus.
We also love it with labneh (yogurt drained to make a tangy, creamy cheese), and bread and olive oil. In fact have you tried my EPIC Lamb Kofta Charcuterie Board?
Oh, and the pita bread?
Did you know making your own pitas is actually very easy?
- Spread the pita wedges on the prepared sheet pan.
- Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle the za’atar. Toss the pita wedges until they are evenly coated.
- Bake until lightly browned and crisp.
Weeknight Gourmet Dinners, by Meseidy Rivera
Friends, buy this book now! It makes a great gift (including holiday gifts) for your foodie friends. Super easy, delicious, and elegant recipes to try. I want to make them all!
Get the Recipe:
Mediterranean Tomato Salad with Za’atar Pita Chips
Ingredients
Pita chips
- 4 pita breads, cut into wedges
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp za’atar
Salad
- 2 lbs Campari or Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 4.5 oz capers, drained
- 1/4 cup julienned red onion
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tsp za’atar
Instructions
- Prepare the pita chips: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.
- Spread the pita wedges on the prepared sheet pan, drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle the za’atar. Toss the pita wedges until they are evenly coated. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.
- While the pita chips are in the oven, prepare the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and za’atar until well combined.
- Prepare the salad: Add the tomatoes, capers, red onion, parsley, feta cheese, and za’atar to the bowl of dressing. Toss until combined and evenly coated with dressing.
- Serve the salad over the pita chips.
Oh this looks good. I’m not sure I’ve had capers too often.