Tomato and "labneh" salad

Tomato-Labneh Salad with Mediterranean Flavors

Ingredients:

• Fresh basil
• 1/4 cup fresh extra virgin olive oil
• Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax)
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 to 1.5 cups water
• 1 block firm tofu
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt
• Diverse color tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 red pepper
• Fresh whole basil leaves
• Black pepper
• Sumac
• Preserved lemon liquid (optional)
• 1 large beefsteak tomato

Instructions:

1. Make Basil Oil:
   • Blend fresh basil with 1/4 cup of fresh extra virgin olive oil.
   • Strain through a sieve and set aside. (makes much more than needed for this recipe)
2. Toast Seeds:
   • Toast a tablespoon of each type of seed (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax) in a dry pan. Set aside.
3. Prepare Vegan Labneh:
   • Blend 1 cup of cashews with 1 to 1.5 cups of water and let ferment overnight at room temperature. You can then store this cashew sour cream in the fridge for up to a week.
   • Blend 3-4 tablespoons of the fermented cashew cream, 1 block of firm tofu, 1 garlic clove, juice of half a lemon, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.
4. Make Salad Mix:
   • Chop diverse color tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 sweet onion, and 1 red pepper.
   • Dress with salt, fresh whole basil leaves, black pepper, and sumac. Add preserved lemon liquid if using.
5. Prepare Tomato Slices:
   • Slice a large beefsteak tomato into 1 cm thick slices.
6. Assemble the Salad:
   • Spread a couple of tablespoons of the vegan labneh on a plate.
   • Place tomato slices on top.
   • Add the prepared salad mix on top of the tomatoes.
   • Sprinkle toasted seeds over the salad.
   • Drizzle with basil oil.
   • Optionally, sprinkle extra sumac and black pepper on top.

Enjoy your Tomato-Labneh Salad with a hint of Mediterranean flavors!