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Our delicious Tomato Salad combines fresh garden tomatoes and herbs with sliced red onion and garlic in a simple homemade dressing. So easy…so good!
Delicious Fresh Garden Tomato Salad
In our humble opinion, there are few things better than the flavor of fresh garden tomatoes in the summer. This easy Tomato Salad is one of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes – especially when they start to ripen quicker than we can eat them!
You can make this delicious salad with just about any variety of garden tomatoes – we used a combination of Big Girl, Big Boy, and Beefsteak plus some smaller cherry tomatoes as well.
After cutting the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and removing the seeds, we added lightly sauteed red onion and garlic, plus fresh basil, mint, and flat-leaf parsley in a simple dressing of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
The flavors are fresh and fantastic – and pure summertime!
Why you’ll love Tomato Salad
- This salad is a great way to enjoy an abundance of garden tomatoes and herbs.
- It’s very simple to make.
- You can vary the recipe based on the variety of tomatoes you grow in your garden – yellow tomatoes would add a nice splash of contrasting colors.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tomatoes – Use any variety of fresh garden tomatoes. We used a combination of Big Girl, Big Boy, and Beef Steak. If you have grape or cherry tomatoes, it will not be necessary to seed before serving. Simply cut them in half.
- Red Onion – While red onions are a perfect choice for salads, you can also use white or yellow Spanish onions for a sharper flavor.
- Fresh Garlic – Don’t be tempted to use the jarred garlic in this recipe. Fresh garlic will give you the best flavor.
- Red Wine Vinegar – Or you could also use a white wine or champagne vinegar. Balsamic or apple cider vinegar will be too strong for this salad’s dressing.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Mint – Fresh peppermint specifically. Don’t use the stronger-flavored spearmint herb.
- Fresh Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
- Dijon Mustard – Just a small amount is added to emulsify the dressing.
- Seasonings – Kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and granulated sugar.
Special Tools Needed
- Saucepan
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Tomato Shark – Optional, but this very inexpensive gadget makes it easier to remove the core of the tomato without wasting a lot of the flesh.
- Colander
- Large Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Whisk
- Large Wooden Spoon
How do I make Tomato Salad?
- Cut top and core from tomatoes then cut into 2-3 thick slices.
- Remove seeds from each slice over a small bowl.
- Cut cleaned tomato slices into bite-sized pieces and place them into a colander over a large bowl and sprinkle with half the salt. Let sit for 30 minutes or longer to drain. Discard liquid then place the tomatoes back into the large bowl.
- Cook sliced garlic and sliced red onion in vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and red pepper flakes while tomatoes are draining, then cool.
- Whisk additional vinegar with Dijon, olive oil, remaining salt, and black pepper.
- Add the cooled garlic/onion mixture to dressing.
- Add dressing and chopped fresh herbs to the bowl with tomatoes and toss.
- Serve immediately or chill and serve later.
Tips & Tricks
- Depending on the variety of tomatoes you use, the amount of liquid extracted as the tomatoes drain will vary. Let them sit with the salt for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Do not chop the fresh herbs until you are ready to mix them into the salad. Chopped herbs (especially basil) can oxidize and turn a dark color as they sit so chop them at the last minute.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Fresh Garden Tomato Salad ahead of time? Yes, this can be served as soon as it is made or refrigerated and served later in the day. We do, however, suggest making it the same day you plan to serve for best results.
- How do I store leftovers? Store refrigerated for up to three days. Note that the longer the salad sits, the more liquid the tomatoes will give up. Feel free to drain the excess liquid before serving any leftovers.
- Can I freeze? No, this salad won’t freeze well.
You might like these other Tomato Recipes:
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Tomato Salad
Our delicious Tomato Salad combines fresh garden tomatoes and herbs with sliced red onion and garlic in a simple homemade dressing. So easy…so good!
Ingredients
5 pounds garden tomatoes, any variety (9 cups after seeding and cutting up)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup red onion sliced into quarter-inch-thick half-moon slices
3 large or 4 medium peeled garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil packed (you’ll chop this later in the recipe)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (wait to chop this until you are ready to add it to the salad)
2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped (wait to chop this until you are ready to add it to the salad)
Instructions
- Core the tomatoes and trim off any blemishes. Then cut into two or three thick horizontal slices, depending on the size of the tomato.
- Over a small bowl, lift each slice and with your fingers, scoop out seeds. As you clean each slice, place the cleaned slices into a colander which has been set into a large bowl.
- After slicing all the tomatoes, remove a few slices at a time to your cutting board and cut the slices into bite sized pieces then place back into the large bowl.
- Discard seeds and liquid from small bowl.
- Sprinkle one teaspoon of the kosher salt over the cut-up tomatoes, stirring gently so the salt is mixed in. Let that colander and bowl sit for at least 30 minutes to drain, occasionally stirring.
- In a small saucepan, place the sliced onion, sliced garlic cloves, ½ cup of the vinegar, sugar, and the pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover, lower to a simmer and cook for five minutes, then remove to cool. Most of the liquid will have evaporated.
- In the small bowl from earlier, add two more tablespoons of vinegar and whisk with the remaining teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard. Whisk continually while slowly drizzling in the olive oil.
- Stir in the cooled contents from the saucepan into the bowl with the dressing and set aside.
- Once the tomatoes have been fully drained, discard the liquid in the bowl then pour the tomatoes back into the bowl from the colander.
- Cut up the basil, mint and parsley and add to the tomatoes along with the dressing and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later.
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Notes
If you are not eating this salad right away, expect the tomatoes to give off more liquid as they sit in the refrigerator. Before serving, drain off any excess liquid if needed.
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