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 simple tomato salad recipe 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 dishes such as air fryer salmon, chicken milanese or Cajun shrimp.
Tomato Salad Ingredients
To make this tomato salad you will need fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, red onions and mozzarella balls. The salad dressing is consists of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, sugar, garlic, black pepper and oregano.
How Do You Make Tomato Salad?
This tomato salad recipe starts with the ripest tomatoes you can find. Cut your tomatoes into bite sized pieces and place them in a large bowl with fresh mozzarella balls, thinly sliced red onion and whole basil leaves. In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, dried oregano, minced garlic, kosher salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, then gently toss everything to combine.
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.
- Look for ripe tomatoes for this salad. If you can grow your own tomatoes they’ll have the best flavor, but a farmer’s market can have delicious tomatoes.
- You can serve your salad immediately, or let the tomatoes marinate in the dressing in the fridge for up to 2 hours. Your tomatoes can get mealy if they sit longer than 2 hours.
- I use a mandoline to shave my red onion into the thinnest possible slices.
Quick Tip
For extra flavor, try adding a drizzle of balsamic glaze over the top of the finished salad.
Recipe FAQs
You can make tomato salad 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. I like small vine ripened tomatoes that I 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 with 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. You can cut medium and small tomatoes into slices or wedges, and you can cut cherry tomatoes in half.
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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 kalamata olives, marinated artichokes, corn or avocado.
- Protein: Make this a main course by adding garlic butter shrimp, grilled chicken tenders, bacon, white beans or chickpeas.
- Fresh Herbs: Swap out the basil for green onions, dill or parsley.
- Cheese: Use cubed provolone cheese, feta cheese or shaved parmesan in lieu of mozzarella.
- Seasoning: You can add extra flavor to the dressing by adding 2 teaspoons of my homemade Italian seasoning or Greek seasoning.
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
Chickpea Salad with Avocado
11 mins
Black Bean and Corn Salad
11 mins
Greek Tortellini Salad
25 mins
Israeli Salad Recipe
11 mins
Broccoli Salad Recipe
11 mins
Tomato Salad Video
Love This Recipe?
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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.
- You can serve your salad immediately, or let the tomatoes marinate in the dressing in the fridge for up to 2 hours. Your tomatoes can get mealy if they sit longer than 2 hours.
This was really delicious! Tomatoes are so good this time of year.
One of the best and easy salad recipes to make! We love it!
I love easy and simple dishes. This salad is so perfect for summer!
OMG This came out so delicious! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Such a tasty and refreshing salad! Definitely making this again because the weather will only get hotter
This tomato salad recipe is looks incredibly delicious!
Such a fresh and light dish to add to any dinner table this summer. Love it!
A classic summer salad! Love how easy and delicious this recipe is
I used cherry tomatoes sliced in half and we really enjoyed this recipe!
My garden is overflowing with tomatoes so I’ve been making this a few times each week! It’s wonderful!
Talk about a juicy summer salad! I’m looking forward to having this again for lunch tomorrow!
This was such a great salad with dinner last night! I will be enjoying this all season long; it’s delicious!
I love all those fresh tomatoes! So yummy!!
This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy! This is seriously making me hungry!
This reminds me a lot of a salad my Grandma used to make with red onion, tomatoes and cucumbers. But it has a caprese vibe to it! I can’t wait to try it!
A great use for summer tomatoes! Last year I had a way too many, but now I have a tasty way to help use them all.
This salad I could enjoy daily! I love the garlic and herb dressing and all the fresh flavors of summer.
The perfect way to use up those summer tomatoes! I absolutely love that dressing. I am saving this recipe for later this summer.
One of our favorite salads to make!
My kind of salad!! YUM!! A must try!