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vegan tomato salad

Tomato Salad with Sweet Pea "Ricotta"

This is the ultimate summer salad. Serve with crusty bread and chilled white wine. You will need to soak the cashews in boiling water for at least two hours, so plan ahead. Thaw the peas by running them under warm tap water.
Servings 4
Author Turnip the Oven

Ingredients

For the sweet pea "ricotta"

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 2 cup frozen peas thawed
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley, mint, or tarragon
  • 1/4-1/2 cup water

For the salad

  • 2 pounds juicy perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

To make the sweet pea "ricotta"

  1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain the cashews and transfer to a blender. Add the peas, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, basil and 1/4 cup of water and blend until smooth. If the blender is sticking, add up to another 1/4 cup of water. (Sweet pea "ricotta" can be made up to three days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator.)

To assemble the salad

  1. Cut the tomatoes crosswise into thick slices and arrange them on a serving plate. Top the tomatoes with a dab of the ricotta. Sprinkle the salad with the basil, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.