Heirloom Tomato Salad With Ricotta and Chile Oil
Updated July 26, 2025
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ to 1tablespoon Aleppo pepper or Urfa biber, or a mix of both (use lower range for very mild heat)
- 1½pounds/680 grams heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges (see Tip)
- 1large shallot, very thinly sliced
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- Heaping ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ to 1cup/110 to 225 grams Whipped Tofu Ricotta
- 1 to 2tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- ½cup/8 grams fresh basil leaves, slivered
- Flaky sea salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
182 calories; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 582 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and Aleppo pepper over low heat. Simmer very gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, garlic, fine sea salt and some cracks of black pepper. Gently toss to combine, taking care to not smush the tomatoes.
- Step 3
Add a few dollops of the whipped tofu ricotta to a serving platter. Arrange the tomato mixture on top and add a dollop more ricotta around the tomatoes. (You may have leftover ricotta, but it stays good in the fridge for at least 1 week and is great on many things.) Drizzle with the chile oil and 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar. Garnish with basil. Taste, adding more balsamic as needed, and season with flaky salt and black pepper.
- Heirloom tomatoes are in season from summer through fall. If you don’t have access to them, use the best-quality tomatoes you can find, including a mix of grape or cherry tomatoes with larger tomatoes.
Private Notes
Comments
I think the biggest compliment I can give to Nisha is that I love her recipes even though I’m not a vegan and develop recipes myself. The original Caprese Salad with mozzarella has long been a favorite of mine but I’m looking forward to trying this vegan ricotta version. And I’m definitely a “baby mouth” so I appreciate the Aleppo chili oil. Every ingredient is already in the house so I guess the NYT has inspired yet another dinner!
I made this with actual ricotta, and it was fantastic. Use one that's more solid or even strained, since there's lots of liquid already. I suppose I'm glad they gave this an inaccurate name, I wouldn't have looked at a salad with whipped tofu.
I found buffalo milk ricotta cheese at my Italian market so I’m going to give it a whip (and a try) in this tomato salad.
5/5. I added honey drizzle and subbed the shallot for a red onion since I didnt have one on hand, and just let the onion mellow out in cold water before using
I applaud the NYT for finally paying attention to top-notch vegan recipe creators like Nisha Vora. It saddens me that readers are ignoring the "non-dairy" aspect of her recipes and substituting cheese. Vora works tirelessly to reduce the amount of cheese Americans consume (check out environmental impact of dairy, animal welfare of dairy cows, factory farms, etc., but as a NYT reader you probably already know that). Please give the recipes, their creator, and the animals a chance.
Absolutely splendid! A new go-to for a healthy small meal/snack, the flavors sing together.