Eleven ingredients and forty-five minutes, thirty of them in the fridge.
Nothing is cooked. The artichokes come from a can or jar, and the dressing does the work while the salad chills.
Why This Recipe Works
- Draining the artichokes well lets the new dressing soak in rather than being diluted.
- Thick onion rings stay crisp through the marinade where thin slices wilt.
- Red wine vinegar and lemon together give a sharp, bright dressing.
- Half an hour in the fridge is enough for the vegetables to take the dressing.
- Parsley folded in at the last minute stays green and fresh.
Ingredient Notes
- Quartered artichoke hearts
- Two 14-ounce cans or jars, drained. They are the body of the salad.
- Halved and quartered tomatoes
- A cup and a half. Cut tomatoes are why the salad marinates in the fridge and stays cold.
- Red onion in thick rings
- Half a small onion. Thick rings keep their crunch; the title doesn't name them.
- Olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, garlic and chilli flakes
- A quarter cup, two tablespoons, a tablespoon, one grated clove and a quarter teaspoon. The chilli shows as red flecks in the dressing.
How to Make It
Oil, vinegar, lemon, garlic, chilli and seasoning whisked
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Artichokes, tomatoes and onion tossed gently with the dressing
Combine artichoke hearts, tomatoes and red onion in a bowl and toss gently with the dressing.
Refrigerated thirty minutes to marinate
Refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate.
Parsley folded in just before serving, kept cold
Fold in parsley immediately before serving and keep the salad cold.
Three Vegetables, One Dressing, Thirty Minutes Cold
This salad is defined as much by what it leaves out as what it holds: NO CHEESE, LEAVES, OLIVES OR BEANS. What remains is three vegetables in three different cuts, a sharp dressing, and half an hour in the fridge.
The DRESSING - whisked first
1/4 cup EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, 2 tbsp RED WINE VINEGAR, 1 tbsp FRESH LEMON JUICE, 1 FINELY GRATED GARLIC CLOVE, 1/4 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES, 1/2 tsp FINE SALT and 1/4 tsp BLACK PEPPER. Two acids rather than one give it a bright edge against the rich artichokes. The chilli flakes are what fleck the dressing red.
ARTICHOKES - in QUARTERS
2 cans or jars (14 oz each) of QUARTERED ARTICHOKE HEARTS, DRAINED. Marinated jarred quarters are the body of the salad.
TOMATOES - halved and quartered
1 1/2 cups of HALVED AND QUARTERED TOMATOES. Cut tomatoes are what make this a cold-hold salad: for safety, MARINATE UNDER REFRIGERATION AND HOLD THE CUT-TOMATO SALAD AT 40°F OR BELOW.
RED ONION - in THICK RINGS
1/2 small RED ONION SLICED INTO THICK RINGS - a component the title does not name, and thick on purpose. Thin slices go limp in thirty minutes of vinegar; thick rings keep their crunch and their shape.
COMBINED AND TOSSED GENTLY WITH THE DRESSING, REFRIGERATED 30 MINUTES TO MARINATE, then 1/3 cup CHOPPED PARSLEY FOLDED IN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SERVING, and THE SALAD KEPT COLD. 'Tuscan' in the name is a style descriptor only.
Success Tips
- Drain the artichokes thoroughly before they meet the dressing.
- Toss gently so the artichoke quarters keep their shape.
- Add the parsley only when you're about to serve.
Serving Ideas
Six side servings of marinated artichoke hearts, cut red tomatoes and thick red onion rings, glossy with an herby oil dressing flecked with chilli and parsley, served cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add feta or olives?
Not for this recipe. It has no cheese, leaves, olives or beans — just artichokes, tomatoes and red onion in the dressing.
How long should it marinate?
Thirty minutes in the fridge. Keep it cold throughout, since it contains cut tomatoes.
What makes this salad Tuscan-style?
It is Tuscan-style in its flavours — olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, chilli and parsley. The name describes those flavours rather than a particular regional recipe.
