With the abundance of tomatoes coming in this summer we need a simple tomato salad recipe that will be our go to for this season. Sure we will slice and can and more, but this simple tomato salad, which is best with cherry tomatoes feels like a TOP notch experience from a fancy restaurant but it is ready in seconds. I like it best at room temp and this is all about choosing quality but minimal ingredients.

If you grow your own tomatoes or have amazing ones from a local farm that is ideal. There is nothing like fresh off the vine tomatoes and there is all this conversation about whether or not tomatoes should ripen on the vine or not and full disclosure as a gardener I am pro vine ripened and not window ripening.

Table of Contents

Choose the Best Ingredients for Your Tomato Salad:

Olive Oil needs to be top notch. The better the Olive oil the better. I suggest this brand.
Vinegar needs to be light. Do not get sucked into choosing balsamic here. You want White Wine, Rice, or even champagne.
Flaky Salt is essential. We love using Maldon for finishing and it truly is wonderful but Jacobson is also worth a conversation.
Always work with fresh lemon juice when using with fresh ingredients. Don’t cheat.

Which Tomato Is Best For Salad?

Almost any kind of tomato can be used in this salad. For a more colorful and flavorful end result, you might use heirloom tomatoes, or perhaps cherry tomatoes.

What To Serve With Fresh Tomato Salad

Serve with a hearty appetizer or light lunch on top of good, homemade bread
Tomato salad goes perfectly with al dente pasta for the easiest, greatest summer pasta dish ever.

Quick Additions and Variations to Your Tomato Salad:

If you have basil toss some in fresh from your garden. You want just common basil.
Roast Your tomatoes before or even part of them. This will sweeten them really nicely
If you have garlic stems still fresh or garlic scapes chop them up and add them. They add a mild flavor of garlic instead of the intense kind.
Add in cucumbers, grilled garden beans, chopped sugar snaps, sautéed zucchini, or anything you may want to use from the garden. It is amazing.
Top the salad with borage flowers or nasturtium flowers for a bunch of unique flavor. Even onion blossoms instead of sliced red onions will bring in unique and fresh flavors.
Place red onion in the salad and if you want cheese add feta. It will take on a Mediterranean vibe.

Tips for the Best Tomato Salad:

Make the tomato salad early in your meal prep and let it marinate on the counter with a towel over the top. The vinegar and salt will help release flavor.
When your do harvest tomatoes for this dish do not refrigerate them. Keep them on the counter. It is best to point large tomatoes stem side down on the counter near a window with the bottoms up.
Use a variety of types of tomatoes from cherry to beefsteak to Florentine. Every type has a different flavor to offer, though subtle they are evident when tried side by side. For this tomato salad I used different heirloom cherry varieties.

Simple Tomato Salad

Author: Megan Gilger
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Total Time: 5 minutes
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Scale

4 cups chopped tomatoes of choice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
Juice from half a lemon
2 tsp chunky salt
ground pepper to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Chop the tomatoes and remove any stems in them if using larger tomatoes. Place them in a bowl.
Add in the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar and stir.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir again.
Let sit while the rest of your meal is prepared, give a taste test before serving and adjust slightly depending on it’s needs. The salad will taste slightly different every time depending on the fruit used to make it.

Notes

If you loved this recipe, you may also love to pair it with our this Sautéed Zucchini recipe as well.

Easy To Make Tomato Salad Recipe To Try This Summer!