Happy Friday, y’all! I don’t know about you, but I sure am relieved that the weekend is almost here! What are you getting into this weekend? Do you have any fun plans? If so, let me know – maybe I’ll crash your party! I’m totally not kidding.
I’m seriously hoping to have some chill time this weekend. Maybe hang out with Luke and Laura and totally binge on General Hospital. Don’t judge me.
Let’s talk about this salad. I realize that salads are not the sexiest topic in the world, but this one is absolutely hands-down worth discussing. I came across the original Heartthrob Salad recipe in a Valentine’s Day issue of Cooking Light Magazine about 10 years ago or so. We made it, loved it, and have been having it pretty regularly ever since. It’s so simple and delicious. You just have to plan ahead a bit and sometimes I just throw together the tomato dressing part the day before and stick it in the fridge overnight.
Normally I make this salad with cherry, plum or Roma tomatoes, but you can use whatever tomatoes you like. Jennifer and I went to the farmer’s market outside of our work the other day and they had these gorgeous little heirloom tomatoes. Most of them were cherry size, but some were tiny and some were the size of small Romas.
Like the crazy lady that I am, I snatched up 3 or 4 pints. I was so out of control grabbing all these tomatoes I can’t remember how many I bought. Based on my produce hanging basket I’d say I was nuts slightly out of control.
Have a fantastic weekend, y’all!
Heartthrob Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pint heirloom cherry size tomatoes sliced in half or quartered for larger ones
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons pitted and chopped kalamata olives
- 3 pieces of heart of palm cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch pieces plus 2 or so more to garnish, sliced into 2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide pieces - these sizes are approximate - do what makes you happy
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- 1 head of romaine lettuce cut or torn into bite sized pieces
- Optional items - grated parmesan obviously not a vegan option and parsley
Instructions
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Combine tomatoes, garlic, olives, small pieces of heart of palm vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, and salt and pepper to taste in a container with a lid, stir to mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Add lettuce to a large bowl, top with tomato/olive/dressing business and garnish with remaining pieces of heart of palm
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Top with parsley and parmesan if using
Inspired by and adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
Looks good and easy, that works for me. I’ll give it a try!
It is good and easy! Right up your alley! 🙂
This looks great! I really like the dressing. Will need to give it a try as soon as I have some ripe tomatoes…right now they are all green.
I have so many green tomatoes right now too. I’m going to be swimming in them once they ripen!
My heart is throbbing for this salad right now! I’ve been eating like crap lately (chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, like a fifth grader) so this salad needs to be in my life. Great recipe!
Hahaha! You crack me up, Heather. And that’s totally 5th grader food. Hilarious!
General Hospital!! That made me laugh, not in a judgmental way, just in a nostalgic way. 🙂 This is a fabulous recipe, Rachelle. Tomatoes and hearts of palm make any salad a good salad. Love it!
Thanks for not judging, Linda!
Rachelle – Happy Weekend! I hope that you’re able to relax. 🙂 I’m actually in the airport now getting ready to visit my best friend in Florida. We have an assortment of fun plans for the weekend including Happy Hour and archery. Hopefully they won’t be right after each other…that could be dangerous. 😛
How fun for you, Erin! Perhaps you should do the archery then the Happy Hour? 🙂
Rachelle, this salad looks nom-tastic! The tomato dressing sounds killer! I snatched up a bunch of baby heirlooms too the other day!!! (Great minds) I’m definately going to be making this salad sans the hearts of Palm (not a fan, for some reason they make me go iccck!) Have fun this weekend for me, eat lots of crap because it’s your “off” days and load up on some GH drama! I’ll be unpacking. Joy of my life. Cheers, sweet cheeks! Xo
Thanks girl! Aren’t the baby heirlooms fantastic?!?! I can’t wait for some GH drama! Good luck unpacking!
You have accurately described me at the Farmer’s Market- it alllll becomes a blur. What’s a foodie to do? This is our struggle 🙂 This salad looks amazing! Love all the tomatoey goodness 🙂
Indeed! What to do? Thanks Medha!
This salad looks so fresh and delicious! And that tangy tomato dressing is killer! YUMMY!
Thanks Anu!
This looks like my kind of salad. I love salads that have lots of different parts to them. I hope you get some time to relax this weekend 🙂
Thanks Dannii! I sure hope so too!
This is the type of salad I would gladly eat and not share with anyone, also I am so relieved that the weekend is here!
You totally don’t have to share, Katalina! I won’t tell!
Love the ingredients in here, Rachelle! Such a fresh dish for the summer!
Thanks Gayle! Fresh is best!
It’s Luke and Laura time! I love that you watch GH. I really miss Guiding Light. It used to be the older equivalent of Netflix bingeing for me.
It’s hard not to grab up all the pretty produce! Looks like you did right by it. That CL recipe is still working great all this time later!
I remember Guiding Light! LOL! I’m shamelessly addicted to GH. Thanks Mir!
I like the name heartthrob salad.haha..looks yum! No weekend plans as such, just going to relax and watch some movie! Have a great weekend Rachelle 🙂
I wish I could take credit for the name because it is a good one! Thanks CL! Relaxing with a movie sounds awesome, Manali! Enjoy!
Pretty sure we’re just chilling tonight…maybe catching a movie tomorrow night…Want to come? We’d love it! Love this salad. Want to know something? I hope so because I’m about to tell you anyway – I’ve never had hearts of palm…true story. I’d love to try it in this salad! Gorgeous!
OMG! I would love to come with you guys! Never? Goodness! No judgments. Chris eats them right out of the jar – they’re that good!
Love how colorful this is!
Thanks Rachel!
Hope you get to relax this weekend! Love weekends that you can lounge around and just catch up on shows. This salad sounds like the perfect dish to munch on while you’re unwinding. It looks so fresh and delicious!
Thanks Kelly! I’m looking forward to some relaxation. Have a great weekend!
This salad looks killer! I am lovinggggg salads these days so I can’t wait to try this!
I just saw your salads in a jar! Fun! We’ve been eating a lot of salads here too. It’s just too hot for anything else!
My parents are coming to visit this weekend, which means lots of eating and relaxing! Oh, and enjoying catching up on GH, it’s been so good lately. I’m sure gonna miss Luke though 🙁
This salad look phenomenal! I can’t wait to try it.
I can’t wait to binge on GH and totally forgot that you love it too! I saw on the cover of a magazine at the grocery that Luke might do the unthinkable! I wonder what is left that could be worse than what he has already done over the last 30 years or so?!?!?!
Best title for a salad ever!
Thanks Erin! I have to give the credit for that to CL, but I totally agree! 🙂
I’m always in for a salad! This looks so good! Hope you have a great weekend! Chill time sounds like a great idea!
This recipe is perfect for me right now because my CSA is loaded with the most delicious cherry tomatoes every week. I used to watch GH with my Grandmother and loved Luke and Laura. Good times 🙂 Hope you’ve had a great relaxing weekend.
Thanks Karrie! The tomatoes are so good right now! And GH is never the same when Luke and Laura aren’t on!
Oh my jeeze! My heart is totally throbbing for this! YES IT IS. All my favorite flavors in one awesome dish! 🙂
Thanks GiGi! I’m glad I made something you can actually eat! 🙂
This salad looks amazing. It has been some time since I have had heart of palm, but I have been eyeing it at the grocery store of late. Thanks for some salad inspiration!
We sometimes forget about the heart of palm then remember how good it is and usually make this salad. It’s sooooo good!