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Fresh Tomato Salad made with red onions, basil and a simple dressing couldn’t be easier to make. It’s beautiful, smells heavenly, and tastes amazing. This simple side dish is sure to become a summer favorite after just one bite!
Summer is here and so are beautiful, fresh tomatoes. There’s nothing quite like a juicy, ripe tomato. Every year, I look for new ways to enjoy them, and this new salad had me smitten after just one bite.
Fresh Tomato Salad is so easy to make that I almost don’t think of it as a recipe. The star of the dish is fresh tomatoes, with extra flavor added from red onions and tender basil. To bring everything together, I sprinkle the veggies with olive oil, and red wine vinegar, then sprinkle on salt and pepper. That’s it. This is a summer salad at its best.
How To Serve This Amazing Salad
This is the exciting part! The ways to serve Tomato Salad are almost limitless.
- Alongside anything cooked on the grill. I love serving it spooned over the top of grilled chicken. It’s so good with pork tenderloin and London broil as well.
- Tomato Salad makes a great light lunch on its own or with ham salad or egg salad sandwiches.
- Last but not least, serve this salad as an appetizer with toasted garlic bread and a chilled glass of wine. Cheers to summer…oh, and to tomatoes!
Ingredients For Fresh Tomato Salad
- Fresh Tomatoes – I use a combination of heirloom tomatoes and other tomatoes from the farmer’s market. Make sure to use the freshest tomatoes you can find.
- Red Onions
- Fresh Basil
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Real Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
How To Buy The Best Tomatoes
- Don’t buy tomatoes in plastic or in any kind of packaging.
- Never buy tomatoes in a cold or refrigerated case. They will be mealy and have little to no flavor.
- Check to make sure the skin is firm without any bruising.
- Take a sniff! Smell the tomato at the stem. It should smell fresh, and slightly sweet.
How To Make Tomato Salad
- Slice the onions and place them in a bowl of cool water to help tone down their intensity.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters or smaller depending on the size and place them in a large bowl.
- Drain the onions and add them to the tomatoes. Drizzle over the olive oil and red wine vinegar, then sprinkle on the Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Toss the salad, then place it on a serving platter. Tear the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the salad.
PRO TIP: This salad is best served at room temperature. If you’ve stored it in the refrigerator, let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the juice of the tomatoes to blend with the simple dressing, making this salad even more delicious!
Can Do You Store Leftovers?
This salad will keep, sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Craving More Fresh Salads? Try These:
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Easy Caprese Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Everyday Green Salad
- Spicy Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 whole fresh tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Slice onion and place in a bowl of cool water. Set aside.
- Wash and dry the tomatoes. Core the tomatoes, then slice into quarters or smaller depending on the size of the tomato, and place in a medium-size bowl.
- Drain the onions and pat dry. Add the onions to the bowl with the tomatoes. Drizzle on olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Toss, and place on a serving platter. Tear basil leaves and place on top of tomato salad. Taste, adjust seasoning, then serve at room temperature.
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Made this for the second time this evening with grilled kielbasa and grilled corn on the cob. So good and so simple!! Perfect for summer!!
Hey there Melissa!
My goodness, it sounds like you make a absolutely delicious meal, I am so happy to hear that y’all enjoyed this recipe! I agree it’s the PERFECT salad for summertime, if you liked this one you should check out my Tomato Cucumber Salad, it’s just as bright, fresh, and easy to make. Thank you so much for your kind words and your incredible rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya