I might be giving it away from this story that I’m not much of a phone talker. Why would I email my dad and he text me back? I can’t say I have an easy answer for this. I just don’t like talking on the phone all that much—random fact about me.
As with any deep frying event, this takes a little work, but is SO worth it. Honestly, it’s probably a good thing that deep frying takes a little more effort otherwise I would be tempted to cook this way too often. 🙂
2-3 green tomatoes (or 4 if yours are on the small side)
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
oil for frying, you’ll need enough to fill your pan so the tomatoes can be fully submerged
pesto (store bought, or you can make your own)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh mozzarella (I like the kind that is sold in a large ball so I can slice it thick!)
lettuce or spinach for the salad
Slice up the green tomatoes so they are about 1/4 inch thick, discarding the tops. Set up your breading station by setting out three bowls or plates with a lip. You need one bowl for the flour, one for the eggs (whisk them together), and one for the bread crumbs. Now dip the tomatoes so they get fully covered in each bowl in this order: flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Set on a plate. Once you have them all breaded, pop them in the freezer for 6-10 minutes. You can prep your salad greens, make your pesto, and heat up your oil during this time.
If your pesto is super thick, use 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to thin it until it can be easily drizzled or poured over your salad.
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
Fried Green Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 green tomatoes or 4 if yours are on the small side
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs I used Panko
- oil for frying you'll need enough to fill your pan so the tomatoes can be fully submerged
- pesto store bought, or you can make your own
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- fresh mozzarella I like the kind that is sold in a large ball so I can slice it thick!
- lettuce or spinach for the salad
Instructions
-
Slice up the green tomatoes so they are about 1/4 inch thick, discarding the tops. Set up your breading station by setting out three bowls or plates with a lip. You need one bowl for the flour, one for the eggs (whisk them together), and one for the bread crumbs. Now dip the tomatoes so they get fully covered in each bowl in this order: flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Set on a plate. Once you have them all breaded, pop them in the freezer for 6-10 minutes. You can prep your salad greens, make your pesto, and heat up your oil during this time.
-
In a heavy duty pot or dutch oven, heat the oil until it's around 350°F. I like to use a candy thermometer when frying, but it's not completely necessary. Have a plate lined with paper towels ready at the side. Once the oil is hot, use kitchen tongs to add 2-3 breaded tomato slices at a time to the pot (depending on how big your pot is). Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side. Remove to your paper towels once they look golden brown.
Recipe Notes
If your pesto is super thick, use 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to thin it until it can be easily drizzled or poured over your salad. On a bed of lettuce or spinach, layer the fried green tomatoes with the sliced mozzarella and top with your pesto dressing. I like to enjoy this while the tomatoes are still warm.
39 Comments
OMG that looks delicious! Thank you for sharing!
XO ellen from Ask Away
http://www.askawayblog.com
I’ll give you a pass since you’re from the midwest, not the south, but fried green tomatoes are a sacred southern staple with recipes passed down for generations. And Panko bread crumbs do not belong within 1,000 feet of them. Roll those beautiful babies in some course ground cornmeal!!! However, I am so happy to see a recipe for them on here! They are such a delicious part of growing up below the Mason Dixon line. It’s by no means a mystery why men in the south die from heart disease at 50 and I personally go much lighter in our everyday meals–but Sunday supper is the perfect time for fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, fried chicken or ham, green beans with bacon, biscuits, fried potatoes, and poke salad. Seriously. Close to my heart. So I love that you included a part of the south here. ❤️
I’m going home to my parents this weekend and am definitely going to take advantage of their garden to make this!
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
I’ve never tried fried tomato but this looks delicious, can’t wait to give this a go 🙂
Jacqui | Halcyon Jar
This just looks so good! There’s nothing like taking something super healthy and frying 😉 Haha.
It looks delicious! I have never heard of this before, but now I really want to try it.
http://www.yesshedoes.com.br
This looks sumptuous and healthy. I think I could use it as the perfect excuse to binge for the weekend. Haha! Just kidding! 🙂
http://annescribblesanddoodles.blogspot.com/
Tomatoes really aren’t my thing, but my husband might like this recipe.
Never before have tomatoes looked so good!
I am so going to try this myself!
http://somebodyfromsomewhere.blogspot.com/
I love your passion Jo. I sometimes have very strong opinions about certain foods too! Funny how it can become so much more than just a meal, you know?
😉
-Emma
You know, they have never been my favorite either but I’ve been coming around to them over the last 2-3 years. These are quite different than you might think since the cooking method totally changes the texture.
🙂
-Emma
I have never tried fried green tomatoes, but they look delicious.
http://xoxobella.com/
being from Tennessee, I also use cornmeal. BUT, I will say that this recipe looks great. I actually just came in to work today to find some green tomatoes on my desk from a coworkers garden and this salad is really speaking to me. so thank you! 🙂
if I make it, I will make it with cornmeal and let you know how it turned out. ha. 😉
I should’ve known this way back, when I had still the intention of growing my own food. That one year that tomatoes would rot instantly, and the only ones survived were those picked too early by my little boy. (Eventually they were the only ones that turned red too, but this sounds like a very delicious other option)
This looks REALLY good and I’m not even a tomato fan! I also hate talking on the phone. Like SO MUCH. Thinking of changing my message to the one Jesse had in Pitch Perfect? “Hey this is Jesse. Text me.”
chiming in here with a second comment (oops) but I was just going to agree with you, emma. I don’t like tomatoes but fried green tomatoes are in a world of their own. different taste and texture from a red tomato. much better. 🙂
Omg I haven’t lived! Haha. I’ve never had fried green tomatoes before, but this recipe looks os good! I’m a big fan of caprese, so I bet I would adore this.
xx Lane
These look delicious. So making these tomorrow for lunch!
These look so delicious! Now that we’re full blown Georgia southerners, we’re going to have to try these!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Emma, these look delish! Just curious (because I’ve never personally fried on my own stove before), what number on the burner dial do you usually set it at if heating oil to around 350F? Just don’t want to set it too high and then have to wait forever for the oil to return back down to the needed temperature range. Thanks!
-KK
I’ve never tried green tomatoes before, but frying anything makes it that much better! Thanks for the inspiration to try this out, :]
// ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
Frying tomatoes is a totally new thing for me. We fry onions, cassavas, bananas, eggplants….
Well, now tomatoes are in my list too! Need to try. It sure looks delicious.
xo, Deborah
http://www.loveandeverythingblog.com
Oh my word… what a fantastic way to add some drama to the tired (yet fabulous) caprese salad! LOVE!
You know, I’ve somehow gone twenty-one years and have never tried fried green tomatoes — but this looks seriously delicious! I may have to go for it!
Jessica // http://www.jessicarmyers.com
oh man this looks awesome! I’ve done this with fried eggplant rounds but never thought to do fried green tomatoes. Really great idea!
It looks so good! http://www.hannamarielei.com
This looks so good!
Carrie
http://www.wearwherewell.com
I don’t like talking on the phone very much, either. This sounds delicious!
I don’t think I’ve ever even tried fried green tomatoes! We don’t see much of them up here in Canada, or maybe that’s just me, but I love seeing new to me foods on your blog! I do love anything fried!
Monica / Mocha and Moccasins
You don’t know how excited I am for this recipe!!!! I have a total obsession with fried green tomatoes (thanks to the movie!) and have always wanted to make them! So pumped for this recipe! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
http://www.sweetlytattered.com
Looks lovely and delicious. I cannot stand talking on the phone either and I think it drives my father nuts. I can’t explain it, would rather type any day of the week.
This recipe looks amazing! I have tried fried green tomatoes, but have never made them myself. I will certainly be giving this a go!
I’ve never tried cooking fried green tomatoes, but I definitely need to! They look delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Saludos,
Rosa
yummy!!
I have a blog post request! KIDS SCHOOL LUNCHES! My little big girl is staring school this fall and Im really nervous about the making of her lunches haha not a big deal maybe, but i feel completely clueless about this. I didnt have to bring lunch to school ever, so I feel a bit inexperienced. I want to know the essentials for making fun, kid friendly, bento style lunches!!! YES!?!?
xoxo
VIctoria
This looks amazing! I never thought to use fried green tomatoes with mozzarella. I’m definitely going to have to give this a try.
Super secret circle time, I have never had a fried green tomato before but this salad looks amazing. Might have to take the leap with this recipe.
To be honest,if you hadn’t mentioned it on the title, I wouldn’t have imagined that these are green tomatoes!
This recipe sounds promising and they look really tempting!
Soon to be cooked!
Best Regards,
Angelina Stroumpouli
http://www.just-angelina.com
I have never had fried green tomatoes in my life BUT, I am from another culture (French Canadian) so I think I derserve forgivness for that “oversight”. I have however heard of them before in the movie with the same name which I saw many years ago. I’ve always wondered how it tasted (I’ve never eaten an unriped tomato before). I’ve always been facinated with the “frying everything” culture that can be found in the southern US……it’s so foreign and exotic to me. I’ll have to raid my mom’s garden and try these out.