A good salad is more than a bowl of dressed produce. It’s an exercise in contrasts, a push and pull of crunchy, creamy and crisp, of tangy, sweet and salty. This tomato salad is all of that and more.

Instead of a plate of sliced tomatoes drizzled with raw dressing of oil and vinegar, thick wedges of the fruit are tossed with a warm vinaigrette of deeply caramelized honey that’s flecked with fennel seeds and brightened with red wine vinegar. Cooking the honey to a deep amber color deepens its flavor while adding a hint of bitterness, anchoring the juicy tanginess of the fruits. The caramel-y contrast gives peak-season tomatoes something to hit up against, letting you appreciate their flavor all the more.

We took our time identifying the right vinegar to play off the honey. Balsamic was too sweet. White vinegar wasn’t as tart as expected and seemed to mute the flavor of the honey. Sherry vinegar overpowered the entire salad. Red wine vinegar, with its pleasant oaky notes, provided the right balance of tart and sweet.

A few smart techniques prevent the salad from turning soggy. Salting the tomatoes and letting them drain in a colander removes excess water, firming their flesh and intensifying their flavor; soaking rings of sliced shallot in a bowl of ice water tames some of their more aggressive qualities while keeping them crisp. But the unexpected hero of this recipe is the pistachios (or hazelnuts). Pounding the nuts, instead of merely chopping them, creates a mix of finely ground powder and larger, crunchier pieces. The smaller particles absorb moisture from the tomatoes, adding creaminess while balancing the acidity.

Though we initially finished the salad with shavings of Parmesan, we ultimately decided this salad was better without cheese. The nuts, along with a final drizzle of olive oil, provide all the richness you need. A handful of peppery watercress, however, added a fresh and bright vegetal note that tied the whole thing together. If salads are indeed a study in flavors and textures, this one is peer-reviewed.

Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.