Trempó

Trempó (Mallorcan Tomato, Pepper and Onion Salad)

A bright, rustic salad from Mallorca made by finely chopping ripe tomatoes, green peppers and onion, then dressing them with olive oil. It is the classic summer side served alongside grilled meats, pan con tomate or a simple bowl of bread.

Prep

15 min

Total

15 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) ripe tomatoes, very ripe, ideally Mallorcan ramallet or any meaty summer tomato
• •200 g (7 oz (about 1 large)) Italian green pepper, the long, mild Italian frying pepper, not bell pepper; substitute Anaheim or another mild green chile if unavailable
• •150 g (5 oz (1 medium)) white onion, sweet or mild white onion preferred
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, good-quality Spanish olive oil
• •5 ml (1 tsp) red wine vinegar, or Mallorcan wine vinegar; lemon juice works too
• •6 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
• •1 g (a pinch) dried oregano, optional, traditional in some Mallorcan versions
• •4 slices crusty Mallorcan bread (pa moreno), for serving

Steps

1. 1 Wash the tomatoes, green pepper and onion. Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise; if it is very pungent, soak the halves in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well.
2. 2 Cut the tomatoes into roughly 1 cm (about ½ in) dice. Place them in a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with about half the salt, and let them drain for 5–10 minutes so the salad does not turn watery.
3. 3 Meanwhile, halve the green pepper, scrape out the seeds and white ribs, and dice it to the same size as the tomatoes.
4. 4 Slice the onion halves as finely as you can, then run the knife through the slices a second time to break them into small, even pieces.
5. 5 Tip the drained tomatoes into a wide bowl, add the pepper and onion, and toss gently with your hands or two spoons.
6. 6 Whisk the olive oil and vinegar with the remaining salt in a small cup until they look slightly creamy, then pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle the oregano on top if using.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Serve at room temperature so the flavors open up, with slices of bread to mop up the dressing.