I Tried Ina Garten's Tomato and Avocado Salad, and My Summer Menu Will Never Be the Same

Alongside watermelon, berries, and sweet corn, fresh tomatoes are essential in our summer menu “capsule wardrobe.” Peak season tomatoes need nothing more than a pinch of salt to shine. However, when harvest time for heirlooms, romas, beefsteaks, and their ruby-red peers arises, we like to celebrate them in as many different ways as possible.

Tomato and cucumber salads are one of our go-to summer side dishes (this rendition with fresh mint is so light and lovely!), and later in the season, we’re fond of tomato and corn salads. (Bacon is optional, but highly recommended.) Recently, while flipping through the pages of Ina Garten’s 2018 cookbook Cook Like a Pro, I landed on another tempting twist I knew I had to try with my latest farmers market haul: Tomato and Avocado Salad. 

How to Make Ina Garten’s Tomato and Avocado Salad

“When the weather in East Hampton gets really hot, I don’t feel like spending a lot of time in a hot kitchen,” Garten shares in a 2018 Instagram post, teasing her upcoming cookbook. “Instead, I’ll grill some fish or chicken and make a big salad from ingredients I can find at almost any farm stand.” Her farm stand supply inspired this dish. In the 7 years since, the tomato-avocado salad has grown to become one of Ina’s most-clicked summer recipes on the entire Barefoot Contessa website.

Here’s how to make it:

• Prepare the produce. In a large bowl, add lemon juice and a couple of peeled and pitted ripe avocados, cut into ½-inch cubes. Use a spoon or spatula to gently toss the avocado pieces with lemon juice (this will help slow the rate of browning). Add halved cherry or grape tomatoes and diced red onion, then toss once more.
• Make the dressing. To a measuring cup or mason jar, pour lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake to combine,
• Toss, season, and serve. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the avocado mixture, then toss in a few generous handfuls of baby arugula. Add more vinaigrette if desired, season with more salt and pepper, and toss once more. Serve at room temp.

Tips For Making Tomato and Avocado Salad

Like many Ina recipes I’ve tried, this avocado salad is a masterclass in elegance. With nothing unnecessary invited to the party, it comes together fast—I had this on the table in 10 minutes—and each of the 5 ingredients is allowed to shine. 

Still, once I tried this as-written, my brain started buzzing with ideas to remix the recipe. In case you, too, want to customize your summer salad, consider these options:

• Dress things up. It’s such a savvy strategy to ask the lemon juice to multitask. Here, it prevents oxidation on the avocados and lends welcome brightness and acidity to the dressing. If you’d like to mix things up, though, keep the lemon juice handy for the avocado. Then as an alternative to the lemon vinaigrette, try tossing the tomato, avocado, and arugula with spicy lime dressing, sun-dried tomato balsamic, or a green goddess dressing that includes fresh cilantro.
• Say “cheese.” The avocado offers a lovely buttery element and dairy is most definitely optional. That said, if you’re craving some Caprese energy, crumbled goat cheese, crumbled feta, or mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini) would be a welcome addition.
• Go nuts. This could be just because I’m on a huge Jalapeño Lime Wonderful Pistachio kick, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how a little crunch and a small kick of heat might make this even better. Try garnishing your serving with a spoonful to see if you agree.
• Make it a meal. To turn this from a side to the main event, add some protein. Fold in a can of drained and rinsed white beans or shredded rotisserie chicken. Or if you’re feeling fancy, follow the lead of our Lobster Avocado Salad and incorporate bite-size chunks of cooked lobster meat.

The Verdict on Ina’s Avocado-Tomato Salad

Sweet, juicy tomatoes meet buttery avocado, peppery arugula, and a zingy lemon vinaigrette in this refreshingly easy summer salad recipe. Despite its simplicity, this tastes sophisticated and satisfying. My dinner companions and I agreed that the arugula really helped this salad stand out. 

Since it asks for just 5 ingredients and zero cooking time, I can envision myself recreating this all tomato season long—as-is and with one or more of the above adjustments. If I’m lucky enough to have leftovers, I love the possibility of refrigerating them to use as a topping for tacos, fajitas, or a companion for Copycat Chipotle Chicken, served burrito bowl-style.