Bloody Mary Tomato Salad

As I have mentioned before, I like taking well known flavors out of their usual form, to make it into something else. I realize that Bloody Mary's are of the love/hate category for most but hear me out when I say that my not-so-much-of-a-bloody-mary-fan husband bonded so well with these flavors, that he went back for seconds. I put a whole new twist on something he thought he wasn't crazy about and I just may have made him a believer.

Bloody Mary's aren't just for for curing a hangover from a fun night out. They also aren't just for sipping leisurely each morning on a Pawley's Island bachelorette beach weekend. On New Year's Eve, I turned them into soup shots (recipe coming next week) and this past week, I turned the beloved savory cocktail into a salad.

Fresh, tiny tomatoes mixed with salty olives, crunchy celery and pickled onions all swimming in a dressing made with horseradish, champagne vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Don't leave out the celery seed. I believe it's the finishing touch that rounds out all of the flavors. This Bloody Mary Tomato salad was the star of the night on a plate with grilled steak and roasted asparagus bundles.

Bloody Mary Tomato Salad

recipe adapted from Epicurious

1 cup finely chopped red onion

3 Tbsp. champagne vinegar, divided

1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup chopped celery hearts

1/2 cup chopped green olives

2 Tbsp. olive brine/juice

2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/2 tsp. celery seeds

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Mix 1 Tbsp. of champagne vinegar and the chopped onion. Set aside for 10 minutes, tossing often.

Add tomato, celery and olives.

Whisk remaining 2 Tbsp. vinegar, olive juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and horseradish in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add dressing to bowl with tomato mixture and add salt and pepper to season. Cover and chill for at least one hour prior to serving.