Ensalada Chilena Tomatoes and onions

Versión en español

The Ensalada Chilena is straightforward; it’s primarily onions and tomatoes but has little secrets to make it tasty.
The Ensalada Chilena is a summer salad, best made when tomatoes are fresh and have matured in the bushes. In Chile, one tomato variety is the most sought-after Tomate Limachino. Limache is a small town close to Valparaíso and Santiago. This variety has excellent flavor and texture but only lasts a week after being harvested, so it was replaced by varieties that were easier for industrial processing. Gladly is making a comeback.

What to serve with Ensalada Chilena?

Many of the classic Chilean meals improve dramatically with the contrast this salad brings to the table: fried fish with mashed potatoes, fresh tamales or humitas, Porotos con mazamorra (summer bean soup), Pastel de Choclo, and Costillar (spicy pork ribs) only taste completed with this salad.

Most importantly for authenticity:

Do not use olive oil; neutral vegetable oil is traditional.
Don’t use purple onion. White onion can be used in a pinch.
You can do the salad with or without chili peppers (ají cristal) and minced garlic.
I do not recommend you skip salting the tomatoes before putting them together with the rest of the ingredients. The salt brings out the flavor of the tomatoes.

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