Bloody Mary Tomato Salad

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(530)
Notes
Read community notes

A Bloody Mary is more than a hangover cure or acceptable brunch tipple; it is also an excellent example of precise and intentional ingredient pairings. There’s tart tomato, balanced with crisp celery, pepped up with piquant hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper, then rounded out with lemon. These elements are the inspiration for a simple summer tomato salad, sans the vodka, of course. A brief pickle in lemon juice softens the celery and takes the bite out of the onions. This salad is vegan so rather than Worcestershire, which contains anchovies, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar are used to deliver that same umami and tang. (Vegetarians and vegans, remember this combination for other recipes that ask for Worcestershire!). Serve on its own, with bread to mop up the tasty juices, or toss it through pasta and serve as a salad. This salad will keep and will taste just as good (or even better) the next day.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Salad

    • 2celery stalks, thinly sliced
    • 1small red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
    • 1tablespoon lemon juice (from ½ small lemon)
    • ¼teaspoon granulated sugar
    • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • 2pounds ripe tomatoes (any variety), cut into roughly 1 to 2-inch pieces
    • ½teaspoon black pepper
    • Handful of chopped parsley

    For the Dressing

    • 1tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1½ to 2teaspoons hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
    • 1clove garlic, grated
    • ½teaspoon celery salt
    • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

121 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 671 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

  1. Step 1

    Place celery and red onion in a bowl, and add lemon juice, sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss and leave to soften for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad.

  2. Step 2

    To make the dressing, combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, garlic, celery salt and olive oil in a bowl and stir to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Tip the celery and red onions into a colander and allow to drain. Squeeze out any excess liquid.

  4. Step 4

    Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and add the celery and onion. Add the dressing, along with the black pepper; stir gently to combine. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. To serve, top with parsley.

Ratings

4 out of 5
530 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Roz R

And try this: Make your favorite bloody mix and poach skinless, boneless chicken thighs in the mixture. Serve over pilaf or noodles....

nannerl

Horseradish? Best part of a Bloody Mary to me

Lynn

Made it this morning and couldn't stop tasting it. Will try to save some to mix with pasta.

Sheri

I added tamari-seared tofu 'croutons' for some protein--so good!!!!

Smith

To exclude horseradish and describe this using Bloody Mary is deeply upsetting

Donna

Just my thought on the Worcestershire — even 1 tbsp is a lot as it is a complex and highly seasoned sauce. Try adding it one teaspoon at a time and taste till it’s to your liking.

Jo

I mixed our favorite bloody mary mix with a little olive oil for the dressing - has most of those dressing ingredients in it and so simple -

Betsy

Made with halved cherry tomatoes. This recipe is a keeper!

Casey

Annie’s makes a delicious vegan Worcestershire sauce. Should be on the shelf right next to the regular one.

SRose

We have a son with fish allergies and have been able to find small batch, high quality, Worcestershire sauce without anchovies.

Chuck

Shocking as it may seem, not everyone drinks alcohol.

DJ

Don’t forget a shot of vodka! :-)

Chloe

I added grilled shrimp and feta and served on top of farro. Delicious!

eqg

This is excellent. I love a heavily flavored bloody mary, so I made a few additions to achieve the strong flavor I was after. First, a bit of horseradish. Second, some chopped dill pickled green beans and their brine (because it’s what we had - I wonder if olives would work or be too much?). Third, I used regular Worcestershire. Finally, I added a lot more Tabasco. As with the drink, this can be seasoned and adorned to taste. Bacon? Shrimp? Peperoncini? I don’t see why not!

anteater

added boiled shrimp to the salad and lemon and lime juice, plus Worcestershire sauce to the dressing! yum!!

Ashley

100-percent agree on adding horseradish to the dressing, but it felt like it was still missing something to me. Then it hit me-- Bloody Marys always have some pickled veggies in them! Added a spoonful of Caper brine and now it's perfect. Strongly recommend this modification :)

E

This recipe is very weak in flavor overall. With most of the ingredients being relatively slick there is litter for the dressing and flavors to latch onto. It’s just a simple tomato salad that is a bit too much with the large slices. I don’t think any alteration could rescue this dish for me.

jessicabessica

Made this as written but I forgot to get parsley so I added some basil and that MADE this dish. So good. I ate about half the salad by myself!

SFZ

Really good but was a bit watery. Not exactly sure why as I followed the recipe faithfully. Used a mix of colorful heirloom tomatoes combined with a mix of cherry tomatoes which made the salad beautiful to look at.

Lisa

So good! Perfect way to use those garden-grown tomatoes. Brought this to a brunch and it was a hit. I sprinkled feta cheese and fresh basil on top; both were great additions. Definitely making it again.

SuperNES

I made this twice, the first time with (a reduced amount of) Worcestershire instead of the suggested balsamic and soy. Added a bunch (probably about 1 T) of horseradish, as suggested and more hot sauce until it tasted like a bloody Mary. The second time I followed the recipe as written and while it doesn't taste as much like a bloody, I thought it was a better salad as written.

laura

Had this roughly 18h and then again 42h after I‘d originally made it. The first time was good, the second time was amazing. It might look more like soup than salad after such a long time but it‘s actually the juices that taste the best.

AWilliams

This was delicious. Made exactly as written using Roma tomatoes. Next time I may try using a sweet onion instead of the red which was rather strong for my taste and add more celery and maybe a bit of horseradish. The dressing I am definitely using on other salads as well. It is fantastic.

katertot

This salad is amazing! Make a half recipe for delicious and quick afternoon snack!

Rebekah Haraczka

Beautiful salad that is reminiscent of a bloody mary.

Lynne

Wondering if a little horseradish might work?

Greg

Served this with some fish and roasted broccoli! Was a huge hit! I got expensive heirloom tomatoes, pricey, but worth it!

Meghan

This is so good. I added massaged kale and zucchini from the garden. I'll be making this for the rest of the summer. Next time I'll add horseradish!

FairlyLisa

I felt it needed a pickle-y element so I add sliced green olives.

Jason C

I second those who call for horseradish. Many New Orleans Style Remoulades have this as a component for kick. I would go over the top in presentation. Think salad in glasses rather than bowls/plates. Add your favorite BM garnish. Mine is pickled green beans. Pickled okra would be great. And how about an Old Bay spice rim? If you are energetic enough, setting up a "Bloody Mary" Tomato Salad bar where guest could mix an match would be a lot of fun.

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