I rarely rave about my own recipes, but this is one I can just go on and on about. It is the definition of freshness with its sweet-and-sour late-summer flavors, and it is also an utter delight to look at. But the most incredible thing about it is that it uses a few ingredients that I have been lovingly cooking with for many years, and believed I knew everything there was to know about, yet had never thought of mixing them in such a way. That is, until I traveled to Istanbul and came across a similar combination of fresh tomatoes and pomegranate seeds in a famous local kebab restaurant called Hamdi, right by the Spice Bazaar. It was a proper light-bulb moment when I realized how the two types of sweetness-the sharp, almost bitter sweetness of pomegranate and the savory, sunny sweetness of tomato-can complement each other so gloriously.
I use four types of tomato here to make the salad more interesting visually and in flavor. You can easily use fewer, just as long as they are ripe and sweet.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Step 1
Mix together all the tomatoes, the red pepper, and the onion in a large bowl and set aside.
Step 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.
Step 3
Arrange the tomato mixture and its juices on a large, flat plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Leave a Review
Reviews (6)
Back to TopVery tasty with an unexpected, but pleasant flavor profile. Really enjoyed the allspice. It was delicious fresh, but better the next day; also served as both a topping and dressing to an arugula salad. For our palates, I will decrease the amount of onion, and add a bit of walnut for next time, but a definite winner!
lmsavage
Cincinnati, OH
8/14/2020
Wonderful! I made it with only one kind of tomatoes as that's what I had. I also skipped the onion and don't have any all spice.
Anonymous
London, UK
1/22/2019
SO GOOD! We just finished our meal and everyone LOVED this tomato pomegranate salad. It was one of the star dishes on a table that had no shortage of excellent dishes to be enjoyed. I highly recommend this salad if you are a tomato lover!
federalista
Garnet Valley, PA
12/5/2016
This is a beautiful dish, once made. Plus, I managed to find frozen pomegranate seeds! However, the garlic, allspice and molasses flavors were interesting but not in a way that inspired me. Some people enjoyed the dish and others left a big mound of it. It disappointed me, which is a shame because I had spent a lot of time dicing.
cheerycook
DC
2/21/2016
Love this salad. I added extra garlic that added a tang. Used raspberry vinegar and molasses. Delicious and crunchy.
rinkershort
Fairbanks, Alaska
9/24/2015
Not only is this an utterly delicious salad, it tastes even better the next day. The visual impact is stunning - gorgeous colors, every bite is a different combination of flavors, and tastes complex. The visual impact begins with the preparation - luscious colors, textues. Kids devoured it - commented over and over on sensations, taste, and colors. Made it again for friends who loved it over three days. A new staple at our house. Easy to substitute other kinds of tomatoes if the ones here are not available -- also can substitute raspberry syrup to good effect if no pomegranate syrup available (I made my own at home)
nocans
Portland, OR
10/26/2014
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