Name: Fire and Ice Salad
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup white wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/2 teaspoon celery salt; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 2 pounds tomatoes , cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges; 2 cucumbers , peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1 green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and sliced into thin matchsticks; 1 red onion , halved and sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

This southern picnic salad is all about ice-cold vegetables—traditionally tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers—and a fiery, bracingly tart dressing. We opted for red onion for its milder, sweeter flavor, and to the classic trio of vegetables, we added green bell pepper for crunch. To balance the liquid given off by the vegetables, our dressing is extra-potent: a combination of vinegar, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, and celery salt, with a little sugar for balance. After an hour in the fridge, this salad is adequately chilled to live up to its name.

Before You Begin

It’s important to refrigerate the dressed salad for at least 1 hour before serving so the tomatoes and cucumbers can release their juices and balance the dressing, as well as absorb the flavor. In fact it can sit for up to 24 hours, chilled, with no further dilution of flavor.

Instructions

Whisk vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, celery salt, pepper flakes, and pepper together in large bowl. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion and toss to combine. Refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Serve.