Tomato salads may be all over menus during this fleeting season, when the fruit is at its juicy peak, but Tigist Reda’s take is a little different. “I wanted to make something that was familiar, but give it a distinct flavor,” says the Demera chef. To garden-variety ingredients like olive oil and basil, she adds berbere, a brilliant red blend of cayenne pepper and spices like cumin and coriander that’s foundational to the cuisine of her native Ethiopia. The resulting salad — bright and fresh with an undertone of complex heat — feels both classic and new. Along with ambasha (a traditional flatbread that’s cubed and toasted into croutons here), berbere can be found at Ethiopian grocery stores like Edgewater’s Kukulu Market.
Tigist Reda’s Berbere Heirloom Tomato Salad
Makes:6 servings
Active time:5 minutes
Total time:30 minutes
| ½ cup | Cubed ambasha or other bread |
| 4 Tbsp. | Olive oil, divided |
| 3 | Medium heirloom tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped |
| 1 | Jalapeño (deseeded for less heat if desired), sliced |
| 1 | Small shallot, sliced |
| 5 | Basil leaves, thinly sliced |
| 1 tsp. | Berbere |
| ½ tsp. | Ground cardamom |
| ½ tsp. | Salt |
| Juice of 1 lime |
1. Make the croutons: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss bread cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread on a baking tray. Bake, shaking the pan halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Make the salad: Place croutons in a large bowl and add tomatoes, jalapeño, shallot, basil, berbere, cardamom, salt, lime juice, and remaining olive oil. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.