Fresh Tomato and Egg Salad

If you are looking for a salad that showcases simplicity and big flavor, you need to give this fresh tomato and egg salad a try. This is the kind of dish that can work as a side dish or even a light meal. You can easily put this dish together in under 30 minutes and I am going to show you how.

Herb bread crumbs

I recently purchased Erin French's "Big Heart Little Stove", and it has quickly moved into a favorite spot in my cookbook collection. One of the foods I tried that was new to me was her herbed bread crumbs. While they aren't hard to make, they will be the most time-consuming part of this dish. But trust me, it is worth it in this recipe. I love the crunch and flavor with the soft tomatoes and boiled eggs. More on how to make these below.

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes- you can use any type of tomatoes you like, my personal favorites are cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for their sweetness.
• Shallots- You can also use white or yellow onions if you like, but I recommend trying this salad first with shallots.
• White wine vinegar and red wine vinegar- rice vinegar or plain white vinegar can also be used. It will be used to pickle the shallots and to drizzle over the salad.
• Olive oil- be sure and use extra virgin olive oil.
• Fresh dill, parsley, and green onions- you can use dried herbs, but the flavor of fresh herbs is best with fresh tomatoes.
• Crusty bread or roll- This should be slightly dry as we will be using it to make breadcrumbs with it.
• Eggs- for the boiled eggs.
• Salt and pepper

How to make

You will have 3 things to prep for the salad that takes a little time, so start one right after another as they all take about 10-15 minutes.

Herb breadcrumbs

While these are optional, I think you will love the flavor and crunch they add to the salad. They are not complicated but do take some time, so be sure and start them early.

Break up your stale bread and add it to a food processor. To this, add the green onions and parsley. Pulse until the bread is broken up and well combined with the herbs. Pour it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are crispy. Remove and let them cool.

Boil the eggs

While the breadcrumbs are drying out, boil your eggs. If you don't have a tried and true method, let me share mine. Add the eggs to cool water, then heat over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and boil for 7 minutes.

Drain the water and run cold water over the eggs for 5-7 minutes to cool them. Peel the eggs, chop them, and set them aside.

Pickled Shallots

This is optional as well, but I prefer it on my salads. Thinly slice your shallots and add them to a ramekin. Cover with white wine vinegar and let them sit like this for 10-15 minutes. Drain before you use them in the salad.

Putting the salad together

Once the breadcrumbs and eggs are done, it is time to put it all together. Add the cut tomatoes and drained shallots to the serving dish. Drizzle with the white wine vinegar and olive oil. Next, add the chopped dill and the boiled eggs in the middle. Sprinkle all of it generously with salt and ground black pepper.

NOTE: The olive oil and vinegar are only drizzled over the tomatoes and shallots. I do this so the eggs, dill, and breadcrumbs don't get soggy.

RIGHT before serving, do not add them too early, sprinkle over the herbed breadcrumbs. They will get soggy if you add them on too early, so hold off until right before serving. I also like to set this on the table for serving as well, in case anyone wants to add more.

Homemade crackers recipes

I love pairing this fresh salad with homemade crackers. Sure, they are time-consuming, but so worth it. Rye seeded crackers are easy to make and perfect for this salad. My rustic einkorn olive oil crackers are another simple cracker with delicious crispy flavor. My whole wheat crackers are also a good option. They are crispy and so yummy!

• Salads
• Skillet