The Overlooked Tomato Type That Your Salads Are Begging For

If you want to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet or explore more plant-forward dishes, one of the easiest ways to achieve either is through salads. Often disregarded as a bland and boring serving of leaves, salads are actually a fantastic way to eat balanced and nourishing meals without missing out on bold flavors. Quite like how a base of leafy greens serves as a foundation to build upon, tomatoes are among the most popular inclusions in salads, bringing a delightful sweet and tangy burst of freshness. However, there seems to be one particular type of tomato that rose to a must-have status in American kitchens, thanks to '90s television, that might not be getting the airtime it deserves in salads.

Behold, the umami-packed sun-dried tomatoes, which, in addition to adding a satisfying chewy textural component, also bring an intense, concentrated sweet and savory flavor that will elevate every bite of your salad. It's no wonder that sun-dried tomatoes are one of Ina Garten's go-to ingredients to avoid lackluster pasta salads. If you want to make your own sun-dried tomatoes, the old school method requires dehydrating the tomatoes out in the sun, which is a very time-consuming ordeal, to say the least. But, in only a fraction of the time, you can easily make your own sun-dried tomatoes in the oven or air fryer, or make it even easier by taking the store-bought route.

Sun-dried tomatoes hail from the Mediterranean region — known for its sunny climate — and are notably prominent in southern Italian cuisine. Given their prevalence in Mediterranean and Italian food, a safe bet would be opting for complementary flavors from these cuisines to construct a bold and beautiful salad that will have you craving more veggie-forward meals. You can't go wrong with the likes of garlic, basil, artichokes, olives, red bell peppers, arugula, or pretty much any type of produce that is a pillar-stone of the Mediterranean cuisine. Add layers of depth and flavor by roasting the garlic and bell peppers to draw out a delightfully charred sweetness, and some onions or shallots for a caramelized note, all of which adeptly complement the sweet and umami punch of sun-dried tomatoes.

You can incorporate sautéed mushrooms to boost the umami notes, or top off the salad with some briny capers for a fish-free taste of the seas; the possibilities are truly endless. Sometimes, you may want a creamy component to cut through the intensity of the sun-dried tomatoes, and this is where you can bulk up the protein and calcium with white beans: a white bean and sun-dried tomato salad served with a thick slice of crusty bread sounds like a dream! Or, you could whip up a mashed potato salad with a tomato twist you didn't know you were missing out on. Just make sure to preserve the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes if you fancy a tangy vinaigrette to bring it all together. Ultimately, it's your salad, and therefore, your choice.