Tomato Salad

Tomato salad is an easy and delicious recipe to enjoy fresh and ripe tomatoes.

We combine the tomatoes with thinly sliced onion and basil, then season them with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to make a summer salad with tomatoes that's tasty, refreshing, nourishing, and the perfect side dish to most meals.

One is chopped mixed tomatoes combined with thinly sliced red onion and fresh basil seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

When making it, we encourage you to mix different tomato varieties. Each variety will contribute with its bright colors, shape, texture, and unique taste, making your salad special.

The other is a marinated tomato salad which is popular in Italy. We make this one with larger tomatoes such as beefsteak tomatoes.

First, we cut them into slices, season them with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cover them with thinly sliced red onion, grated carrot, chopped celery, and plenty of basil.

Tomatoes

The taste of your tomato salad will be strongly affected by the quality of your tomatoes.

Cheap, pale, watery tomatoes that have never been kissed by the sun won't taste of anything. However, meaty and colorful tomatoes grown in the summer season will make all the difference.

So, if you have a farmer's market nearby, you could try to get your fresh tomatoes there. You'll find more varieties than in the supermarket, and the tomatoes will be much more beautiful and tasty.

The tomatoes should be ripe but still firm and NOT overly ripe. Pick tomatoes of different varieties, textures, and colors. Also, it's super important that the tomatoes are at room temperature to appreciate their taste fully.

Our local farmer Luca brought us many delicious tomato varieties this year, including Heirloom tomatoes, Japanese Black Trifele, Gold Dust, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple Tomatoes, Yellow Cherry, Roma Tomato, Yellow Pear Tomatoes, Beefsteak Tomatoes, and more. It was a glorious tomato salad!

But suppose you don't have access to a farmer's market. In that case, you can still make a fresh tomato salad with more common tomato varieties such as cherry tomatoes, vine tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes.

Red onion

Thinly sliced red onion adds a sharp, almost spicy flavor to the salad that perfectly complements the sweet and slightly acidic tomato flavor.

If a raw red onion is too sharp for you, try soaking it in cold water for 10 minutes before adding it to the salad.

Olive oil

We recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil. You will taste the oil in this tomato salad since we use it raw, so having a good oil with a fruity flavor and rich body will make a huge difference.

Vinegar

We think balsamic vinegar is the best type of vinegar to go with tomatoes because it's sweeter and less acidic than other vinegar.

If you don't have balsamico, try red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar. We don't recommend using lemon juice; we find it too acidic in this simple salad.

There's no need to make a vinaigrette for this recipe by mixing oil and vinegar in a small bowl beforehand.

Basil

Fresh basil leaves and tomatoes are a match made in heaven. They are a staple combination in Italian cuisine and for a good reason.

Basil has a round, sweet, mellow aroma that melds perfectly with the sweetness and freshness of the tomatoes.

If you don't have basil, you can add other suitable fresh herbs: finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, dill, chives, fresh oregano, and mint; but basil is much better.

Salt and Pepper

Tomatoes need salt. Good, tasty sea salt or kosher salt brings out their flavor, making them super palatable.

Also, freshly ground black pepper adds the perfect spice and aroma to this tomato summer salad.

Other ingredients

Chopped celery, grated carrots, diced cucumber, avocado, olives, feta cheese, chopped lettuce, fresh mozzarella balls, and crushed garlic clove are simple ingredients that you can easily add to this salad to make it even tastier.

Check out our "variations" chapter below to see how we do a delicious Italian marinated tomato salad with celery and carrot, and more.

Finely chop the red onion as thinly as possible, then separate the onion layers by pinching them with your fingers.

Soak the onion in cold water for about 10 minutes if you want a milder onion flavor. In the meantime, chop the tomatoes.

Chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Cut small round tomatoes in half, long and narrow tomatoes in discs or wedges, and larger round tomatoes into wedges.

We recommend using a serrated knife or a paring knife with a serrated edge to cut tomatoes. This way, it'll be easier to slice through them without squishing them.

To a large bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion (take out of the water and drained), chopped basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix well with two spoons, and set aside 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve in the same bowl or on a serving platter, with some slices of crusty sourdough bread on the side.

Marinated Italian Tomato Salad

This is our favorite way of making a tomato salad. You'll need beefsteak tomatoes plus celery and carrots.

First, remove the stem of the beefsteak tomatoes, then slice them into ⅓ inch slices (about 0.8 cm). Arrange the slices on a single layer, without overlapping, onto a serving plate.

Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Add finely chopped onion, celery, grated carrot, and basil. Add another tiny drizzle of oil, a small pinch of salt, and pepper.

Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving it with fresh crusty bread to soak up all the tomatoes' juices.

Tomato and Lettuce Salad

Want a tomato salad that is even fresher and crunchier? Then try adding chopped romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce to the tomato mix.

You can also add chopped cucumber, a grated carrot, and a chopped celery stalk. The seasoning is the same with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

Avocado and Tomato Salad

Creamy avocado and fresh tomatoes meld perfectly together in a delicious creamy summer salad. Check out our avocado salad recipe.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Crunchy cucumber and sweet tomatoes are a perfect match. Check out our cucumber tomato salad recipe.

Salads are perfect as a side, appetizer, or as a light meal. Pick your favorite salads and add plant-based protein such as fried tofu or roasted chickpeas for a complete meal:

For more salad ideas, check out our 25 best vegan salads.