You’re gonna love my easy tomato salad! It’s all about letting the bright, juicy, and sweet flavor of tomatoes shine through and be the star of the dish. Four ingredients and about five minutes are all you need to prepare it. It’s delectable!
This is a salad you can prep in minutes when you forgot to make something for a potluck, or you need something quick and easy to take to the neighborhood get-together. It’s beautiful, delicious, and nutritious. Everybody loves it!
My Easy Tomato Salad recipe creates a side dish that is summery, flavorful, and perfectly acidic to balance heavier, creamy dishes in the meal. Sweet, juicy cherry and grape tomatoes are easy to find year-round now, even when larger out-of-season garden tomatoes are more expensive and flavorless.
If you have ten minutes to stir this easy salad recipe together, you’ll be treated to a satisfying side dish that pairs exceptionally well with beef and with creamy casseroles. It’s also good with chicken or fish, but in my opinion, it’s with beef, eggs and other creamy or cheesy dishes that it really shines.
And personally, I would eat this salad for lunch with a slice of bread and butter on the side. As a matter of fact, I had a visit from two granddaughters yesterday after I made this, and we all stood at the kitchen counter with our own forks, eating it right from the bowl. lol So yes, it’s also a great afternoon snack. I think you’re really gonna love it!
The Ingredients
- Tomatoes: I almost always choose sweet and juicy cherry and grape tomatoes. I love the multi-colored variety packs I can get at Walmart when fresh garden tomatoes aren’t available. The brand is Nature Sweet, and they’re called Constellation. Choose the tomato varieties and sizes that you love the most when creating your own tomato salad recipe. Cut them into bite-sized pieces. When fresh garden tomatoes are available, absolutely use them. Off-season, I think the grape and cherry tomatoes are the best bet.
- Fresh Parsley: Clean, herbaceous, grassy, and slightly peppery, the parsley in this recipe is more than a garnish. It’s an integral part of the fresh, bright flavor of this salad. It’s a great complement when tossed with the tomatoes.
- Red Onion: It adds a pleasant contrast of texture and gorgeous color, plus its sharpness is a good balance against the sweetness of tomatoes. They’re always an excellent pairing. And only a small amount is used. Choose your favorite onions for the recipe.
- Red Wine Vinegar: It brings the tangy acidity and also adds a fruity sweetness. Again, a very small amount is used to enhance the tomatoes.
- Salt: This is the component that makes or breaks almost any dish. Such a small amount can literally make the tomatoes so much more “tomatoey”. Salt should enhance and magnify flavors, not just make the dish taste salty.
FAQs
Yes. But tomato salad is best when it’s fresh. Tomatoes release a lot of moisture as they sit, which can change the texture of your salad. I wouldn’t make it more than 24 hours ahead, and ideally not more than 6 or 8 hours before a special event where you want to serve it at its best.
In an air-tight container, tomato salad will keep for 3 or 4 days. But it will have the best flavor and texture if you eat it within 24 hours of making it.
No. The tomatoes will be soft, mealy and unpleasant after they are thawed.
What to Serve with Easy Tomato Salad
Salad for breakfast?!! Yes, please! On a plate with scrambled eggs, breakfast casserole, quiches, frittatas, or mouthwatering breakfast tacos, this tomato salad will have you swooning.
And who would turn away a delicious lunch of tomato salad and deviled eggs or hard-boiled eggs? No one at my house, for sure. Tomato and egg are so good together!
Try easy tomato salad with some of our favorite homey main dishes, too.
- French Onion Beef and Noodles
- Tuna Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup (Tuna and Noodles)
- Easy Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Lipton Onion Soup Meatloaf Recipe, 5-Ingredient Weeknight Dinner
- Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
- Easy Creamy Chicken Tortellini with Broccoli, One-Pan Easy Recipe
- Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf: a Favorite Slow Cooker Meatloaf Recipe
How to Make Tomato Salad
Creating in the kitchen doesn’t get any simpler than tossing this easy tomato salad together. You’re just investing 10 minutes to enhance and bring out the flavor that already exists in the tomatoes.
- Cut the tomatoes. I cut cherry and grape tomatoes in half. If I have fresh garden tomatoes in the summer, I just cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Rough-chop about one-half cup of fresh parsley leaves. Experiment with different herbs if you would prefer. I happen to love the fresh, clean taste of parsley, so that’s what I’ve used. But you do you. It’s gonna be spectacular!
- Cut red onion into slivers. I literally cut one slice out of the onion, about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick, and lay it flat on the cutting board. I cut it into wedges as if I were slicing a pie. Perfect slivers!
- Toss the tomatoes, onion and parsley into a salad bowl.
- Pour in the red wine vinegar and sprinkle the salt over everything.
- Stir to coat and combine all the ingredients.
- Serve.
Looking for another quick and easy salad idea? Check out Sandhya’s 4-ingredient Mango Fruit Salad over on her blog, My Cooking Journey.
The Recipe
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Easy Tomato Salad Recipe
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Easy Tomato Salad is a simple 10-minute side dish that’s bursting with juicy, sweet tomatoes and bright, fresh tangy flavor. It’s fresh and bright and the perfect thing to toss together for a potluck or backyard bbq. It’s a light refreshing side with an acidic pop that helps balance heavier dishes at the table. You’re gonna love it!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup (9 grams) parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 – 3 Tablespoons (35 grams) red onion, cut into slivers
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes. I cut cherry and grape tomatoes in half. If I have fresh garden tomatoes in the summer, I just cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Rough-chop about one-half cup of fresh parsley leaves. Experiment with different herbs if you would prefer. I happen to love the fresh, clean taste of parsley, so that’s what I’ve used. But you do you. It’s gonna be spectacular!
- Cut red onion into slivers. I literally cut one slice out of the onion, about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick, and lay it flat on the cutting board. I cut it into wedges as if I were slicing a pie. Perfect slivers!
- Toss the tomatoes, onion and parsley into a salad bowl.
- Pour in the red wine vinegar and sprinkle the salt over everything.
- Stir to coat and combine all the ingredients.
- Serve.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Salad, Vegetables
- Method: Cold Prep
- Cuisine: American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
