Get ready for the sensational flavor journey of Fire and Ice Tomato Salad. It’s a party for your mouth unlike any you’ve had before.
Why We Love It
How delicious are homegrown tomatoes in the summer? My family simply can’t get enough of them. Plump, juicy and sun-ripened sweet, they are a wonderful treat all on their own. But eventually you reach a point during the peak growing season when you get overrun with them. Once they’re ripe, that special, tomato taste only lasts for a short time.
One of my favorite things to make when I have a ton of ready-to-go tomatoes is this delicious Fire and Ice Tomato Salad. This is a fantastic salad with American Southern roots that somehow made its way up to me in Pennsylvania–and I am so glad that it did!
When I first tried a version of this at a picnic several years ago, I was immediately hooked. The flavor was unlike anything I’d had before.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad starts on the fire (stovetop) where its delicious, briny spiced dressing is boiled at top rolling speed. That fiery dressing then turns to ice when it marinates fresh tomatoes, green peppers and onion in the fridge for 24 hours. Topped with some cool slices of cucumber just before serving, this a glorious flavor journey for your taste buds that’s hard to beat.
So what’s the best part about this salad? Well, honestly everything! The marinade dressing is wonderfully flavored with white wine vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed, cayenne pepper and more. And it compliments the garden fresh tomatoes, peppers, red onion and cucumber just perfectly.
Why You’ll Love It
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad is great all on its own, but also makes a stunning side dish at picnics and BBQs. It goes so well with all your grilled faves and looks so pretty on the salad table!
It’s also fairly simple to make and keeps well in the fridge. I like to peel the tomatoes, but that is optional (I know this adds a little bit of work, but the salad does keep longer this way). And, after the initial peeling, slicing and pot boiling, this salad is pretty hands off.
Most of the flavor magic is done overnight while Fire and Ice Tomato Salad marinates in the fridge, which means you get to sit back and relax while you look forward to the deliciousness the following day!
While you’re waiting, check out English Cucumber Salad! It’s not as spicy as this one, but has similar ingredients with a Mediterranean flare.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad Ingredients
- 6 large ripe tomatoes
- 1 large green pepper
- 1 large red onion
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 large English cucumber *not pictured above
How to make Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
You’ll want to gather the following equipment:
- vegetable peeler
- cutting board
- santoku or chef’s knife
- small saucepan with lid
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- stirring spoon
- 13×9 glass baking dish
- salad prongs (if serving from glass baking dish)
- slotted spoon (if serving from bowl)
Prep the fresh ingredients:
- Skin tomatoes; seed; cut into quarters
- Halve pepper; seed; slice into strips
- Slice onion into thin rings
Then arrange the tomatoes, peppers and onion in a 13×9 glass baking dish.
Kitchen Ready Betty tip: I like to keep the produce separate from each other in the dish so guests can choose which items they want in their bowl.
Combine vinegar, celery seed, sugar, mustard seed, salt, cayenne, black pepper and water in a small saucepan with lid. Bring to boiling; boil furiously for 1 minute.
Immediately pour sauce over fresh ingredients in baking dish. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Kitchen Ready Betty tip: Pouring the marinade into the dish while it’s hot is the key to good, satisfying flavor.
Just before serving, slice cucumber and arrange with other vegetables.
Serving option: You may choose to serve Fire and Ice Tomato Salad right out the dish it marinated in to give your guests a choice of which parts they want. Or, simply mix all the contents together and serve it in a large bowl; then place a few more cucumber slices on top!
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad Leftovers?
Refrigerate leftovers and store in an airtight container.
If you peeled the tomatoes, leftovers will last for up to 2 weeks—just know, the longer this sits, the more pickled it gets!
If you didn’t peel the tomatoes, enjoy within 3 days before the skin starts to slough off.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
Description
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad starts on the fire (stovetop) where its delicious, briny spiced dressing is boiled at top rolling speed. That fiery dressing then turns to ice when it marinates fresh tomatoes, green peppers and onion in the fridge for 24 hours. Topped with some cool slices of cucumber just before serving, this a glorious flavor journey for your taste buds that's hard to beat.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
How to Make Fire and Ice Tomato Salad:
-
Prep the fresh ingredients:
Skin the tomatoes; seed; cut into quarters
Halve pepper; seed; slice into strips
Slice onion into thin rings
-
Then arrange the tomatoes, peppers and onion in a 13x9 glass baking dish.
Avoid using a metal pan. The marinade's acidity will pick up a metallic taste. -
Combine vinegar, celery seed, sugar, mustard seed, salt, cayenne, black pepper and water in a small saucepan with lid. Bring to boiling; boil furiously for 1 minute.
-
Immediately pour sauce over fresh ingredients in baking dish. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Pouring the marinade into the dish while it's hot is the key to good, satisfying flavor. -
Just before serving, slice cucumber and arrange with other vegetables.
You may choose to serve Fire and Ice Tomato Salad right out the dish it marinated in to give your guests a choice of which parts they want. Or, simply mix all the contents together and serve it in a large bowl; then place a few more cucumber slices on top!
-
Refrigerate leftovers and store in an airtight container.
If you peeled the tomatoes, leftovers will last for up to 2 weeks--just know, the longer this sits, the more pickled it gets!
If you didn't peel the tomatoes, enjoy within 3 days before the skin starts to slough off.
Note
Using a glass baking dish is highly encouraged. At all costs, avoid using metal. The marinade's acidity could start to break down the coating on a metal pan, which would give a metallic taste and potentially be harmful.
Peeling the tomatoes not only makes this salad more palatable, it makes it last longer. When you don't peel the skin, it eventually sloughs off in the marinade.
Adding the cucumber isn't absolutely essential, but it does provide some extra coolness to this fiery delight! I like using English cucumbers because of their edible skin and seeds.
