Beefsteak Tomato Salad
bold, juicy, and beautiful..
A little background on this salad: I went on a girls’ trip to Montauk last summer and ate at Maverick’s. We ordered the beefsteak tomato salad, thinking it was just going to be your basic tomato salad—but we ended up loving it so much that we ordered a second round. We were shocked at how delicious it was. So, what did I do? I recreated it—duh! And not to toot my own horn, but my version might be even better ;) This salad has become one of my favorites. It’s vibrant, bold, and exceptionally juicy.
What You’ll Need:
• 1 large beefsteak/heirloom tomato—(I used ½ of yellow & ½ of red below)
• ½ medium red onion
• A bunch of fresh dill sprigs
• A bunch of fresh basil sprigs
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Smoked flaky sea salt—I use the Maldon brand (regular sea salt flakes would work just fine)
• 70g smoked blue cheese—Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue is the best option however if you can’t get your hands on it, Whole Foods has one; Salemville Wisconsin Blue which has a subtle smoke flavor. The key here is quality.
• A dash of fennel pollen—optional, it is just as good without it.
Putting It All Together:
Start by chopping a handful of fresh basil and mixing it with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Spoon the mixture onto a flat dinner plate and spread it out gently—this will be the flavorful base of the salad. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Slice your tomato into thick ½-inch rounds, this should give you 6 slices. Arrange them evenly across the plate, fanning them out and placing the last slice in the center. Lightly sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with flaky sea salt.
Thinly slice the red onion and scatter it over the tomatoes. Take another small handful of basil, chop it finely, and sprinkle that on as well.
Next, use your fingers to gently break apart the dill sprigs into small pieces. Scatter them evenly over the top of the salad.
Crumble the smoked blue cheese and distribute it generously across the plate, making sure every bite gets a bit of that rich flavor. Add a dash of fennel pollen and drizzle the remaining olive oil (approximately 1 tbsp) over the top of everything.
Let the salad rest for about 15 minutes before serving—this gives the flavors time to really come together.
It’s perfect on its own or served alongside your favorite protein. Either way, it never disappoints.
