This tomato salad recipe is ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and red onions, all tossed together in a zesty garlic and herb dressing. A classic summer salad that never goes out of style!
When it’s warm outside, I turn to cooling salads like watermelon salad, creamy cucumber salad, and this refreshing tomato salad. This salad makes the perfect side dish or light main course for entertaining.
As we head into the warmer months, one thing I’m excited about is summer produce. In the summer there are so many great options from melons to berries to corn, and of course, tomatoes. This tomato salad showcases the finest that summer has to offer. It’s a bright and refreshing salad that pairs perfectly with grilled meats and fish.
Tomato Salad ingredients
The primary components of this dish are tomatoes, basil, red onions and mozzarella balls. The salad dressing is consists of red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, sugar, garlic, pepper and oregano.
How do you make tomato salad?
This recipe starts with the ripest tomatoes you can find. Of course, if you can grow your own tomatoes they’ll have the best flavor, but the farmer’s market is also a great place to look. Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and mix them with fresh mozzarella balls, thinly sliced red onion and whole basil leaves. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until everything is well mixed. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, then toss to combine. You can serve your salad immediately, or let the tomatoes marinate in the dressing in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Tips for the perfect dish
- I use bocconcini mozzarella balls for this salad. These little cheese bites come packed in water in tubs in the deli area. You can also use diced fresh mozzarella if you prefer.
- I like to keep my basil leaves whole so that they don’t turn black in the salad. If you’d like to chop your basil that’s fine too, just be aware that cut basil leaves will discolor as they sit in the salad.
- I use a mandoline to shave my red onion into the thinnest possible slices.
- I recommend serving your salad as soon as possible, as the tomatoes can get mealy in texture if they sit in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
This salad can be made with almost any type of tomato. You can use a variety of heirloom tomatoes for a super colorful end result, or even cherry tomatoes for a different look and flavor. In this particular case, I’ve used small vine ripened tomatoes that have been cut into quarters. I prefer to use tomatoes that don’t contain a lot of seeds, such as Roma tomatoes.
The key to a good tomato salad is ripe tomatoes. The off-season, pink tomatoes during the winter at the grocery store will not produce a good salad. Once you have your ripe tomatoes, you can enhance the flavors with a little salt and sugar, like is used in the dressing of this recipe.
The general rule of thumb is that your tomatoes should be in bite sized pieces. If you’re using a larger tomato, you may want to coarsely chop it. Medium and small tomatoes can be cut into slices or wedges, and cherry tomatoes can be cut in half.
Tomato salad variations
You can add so many different ingredients to this salad to make it your own and customize the flavors.
- Vegetables: You can try adding bell peppers, sliced olives, marinated artichokes, corn or avocado.
- Protein: Make this a main course by adding cooked shrimp, chicken, bacon, white beans or chickpeas.
- Herbs: Swap out the basil for green onions, dill or parsley.
- Cheese: Use cubed provolone cheese or shaved parmesan in lieu of mozzarella.
I make this salad multiple times a week when tomatoes are in season. It takes just minutes to put together, and the flavors are a classic combination that can’t be beat.
More summer salad recipes
Tomato Salad Video
Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 cups tomatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup bocconcini mozzarella balls
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup small basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, mozzarella balls, red onion and basil in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture and gently toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Notes
- I like to keep my basil leaves whole so that they don’t turn dark colored in the salad. If you’d like to chop your basil that’s fine too, just be aware that cut basil leaves will discolor as they sit in the salad.
- I use a mandoline to shave my red onion into the thinnest possible slices.
- I recommend serving your salad as soon as possible, as the tomatoes can get mealy in texture if they sit in the fridge.
Tayler says
I made this salad with dinner tonight and it was the perfect summer side dish! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jamie says
This was such a simple, flavorful salad that was perfect for using my garden tomatoes! It was great with grilled chicken!
MJ says
one of my go-to summer salads now! Love how classic the flavors are and how easy this is to make. And, it pretty much goes as a side to almost any dish!
Toni says
Such a really perfect summer salad! Everyone at my house loved it!
Angela says
This is the perfect summertime salad! Love all of the fresh flavors and mozzarella balls are always a good idea!
Erin says
My garden is teeming with tomatoes so I’m happy to find this easy delicious salad!