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Home Side Salads

My favourite Tomato Salad

By:Nagi
Published:21 Jul '22Updated:18 Dec '22
32 Comments
Recipe v Dozer v

The secret to my best tomato salad lies not in using costly nor an extensive list of ingredients, but in how it’s constructed. Rather than shaking up a dressing, thick wedges of tomato are sprinkled with minced garlic, shallots and salt, drizzled with olive oil and vinegar then gently tossed before finishing with a sprinkle of basil.

The result? Flavour that sticks to the tomato rather than sliding off like dressing. Try it. I think you’ll love it!

Photo of bowl with my favourite Tomato Salad

My favourite tomato salad

This is a tomato salad so good, it’s exceptional made even with just-okay winter tomatoes like the ones I used yesterday when re-checking this recipe before publishing it today. So imagine how incredible it is with ripe, juicy, seasonal summer tomatoes!!!

(In case you’re wondering why I’m sharing a summer recipe in the middle of Aussie winter, it’s because half the readers of my website are in the northern hemisphere enjoying summer right now. Not jealous at all! 😭😭🥶)

Why this tomato salad is better

As I mentioned in the opening, the thing that makes this tomato salad different is that rather than shaking up a dressing which we pour over the tomatoes, we sprinkle/drizzle thick wedges of tomato with the ingredients we typically put in a dressing (olive oil, garlic, salt, vinegar).

Changing up the assembly really does make a difference because you get flavour infused from the garlic, shallots and salt into the tomato in a way you can never achieve if you just pour over a dressing!

Drizzling oil over My favourite Tomato Salad

Ingredients in my favourite tomato salad

Here’s what you need for this tomato salad:

Ingredients in my favourite Tomato Salad
  • Tomatoes – Obviously the riper and more seasonal the better! This salad is intended for regular tomatoes, as pictured above. If you’ve got cherry or grape tomatoes, I’d make my Cherry Tomato Salad instead.

  • Basil – Classic as a pairing with tomato. But note: this salad is worth making even if you don’t have basil! I sometimes add a pinch of dried oregano or other herb instead. YUM.

  • Garlic – Finely minced, then sprinkled straight onto the tomato wedges so they infuse their flavour.

  • Eschallots (aka French onion / shallots in the US) – These are sweeter and more delicately flavoured than brown onions and red onions, making them ideal for using raw in salads. Like the garlic, it’s finely minced then sprinkled on to the salad. Try not to skip this ingredient. It’s a secret ingredient in this recipe! Substitute with the white part of green onions, finely minced. Or very finely minced red onion.

  • Vinegar – I like to use white wine vinegar. Also, the better the vinegar quality, the better the salad! In fact, that’s one of the key things that makes simple salads at restaurants so good: high quality oils and vinegars. Substitute with apple cider vinegar, champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar.

  • Extra virgin olive oil – As noted above, the better the quality, the better your salad! I use economical olive oil for everyday cooking purposes and keep the expensive stuff for salads like this. 😇

  • Salt and pepper – The salt draws juices out of the tomato which forms part of the dressing for this salad, as well as seasoning the tomatoes.


How to make my favourite tomato salad

Place the tomatoes in the bowl then sprinkle/drizzle with all the other ingredients except the basil. Toss to coat, add the basil and toss again. And that’s IT!

My favourite Tomato Salad in a bowl
Close up of fork picking up My favourite Tomato Salad

YUM. This is such a good tomato salad recipe.

Crusty grilled bread for mopping up the tomato juices that pool at the bottom of the bowl is highly encouraged. Or jam in as much tomato as you can between two thick slices of toasted bread, drizzle with an additional bit of oil. SO GOOD!

No video for this recipe because it’s such a quick ‘n easy side salad. I really want to build up my side salads collection but if I try to do a video for all of them it will never happen! So I’m only doing recipe videos for the more involved ones.

Love to know what you think if you try this! What do you think about this different way of building a tomato salad?? – Nagi x

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Photo of bowl with my favourite Tomato Salad

My favourite Tomato Salad

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 mins
Side Salad
Italian, Western
5 from 7 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
A big, juicy tomato salad is a staple everyone should know how to make well! Rather than shaking up a dressing, sprinkle the garlic, eshallots/shallots and salt straight onto the tomato wedges. The flavour sticks better.
Use everyday red tomatoes though if you can get them, heirloom tomatoes will add a great splash of colour.

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe tomatoes (180g/ 6oz each) (Note 1)
  • 1 1/2 tsp finely minced eschalots (US: shallots) (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp finely minced garlic (use a knife, not garlic press)
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (Note 3)
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
  • 2 pinches white pepper
  • 1 1/2 tbsp finely sliced basil leaves , plus extra for garnish (Note 4)

Instructions

  • Cut the tomatoes into 8 or 10 wedges, cutting out the core. Place in a large bowl.
  • Sprinkle over eschallots, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar.
  • Gently toss to coat tomatoes. Add basil, toss again to disperse.
  • Pour into bowl and serve immediately! (Tip: Bread for mopping up the tomato juices is on point).

Recipe Notes:

1. Tomatoes – Obviously the riper the better! But honestly, I made this yesterday in the middle of Aussie winter with just-okay, greenhouse-grown tomatoes and it was still so, so good. If you’ve got cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, try my Cherry Tomato Salad instead (it’s designed for them).
2. Eschallots – also known as French Onions and called “shallots” in the US. More delicate and sweeter than brown onions. Substitute with the white part of green onions, finely minced, or very finely minced red onions.
3. Vinegar – Or apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is fine too from a flavour perspective but will stain the tomatoes brown.
4. Basil – worth making even without. I like to add a pinch of dried oregano instead.
5. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 117cal (6%)Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 11g (17%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 443mg (19%)Potassium: 294mg (8%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 1025IU (21%)Vitamin C: 17mg (21%)Calcium: 14mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: tomato salad
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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Wondering when this endless rain in Sydney is going to ease…. We all are, Dozer! It’s been 7 months solid of non-stop rain.

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32 Comments

  1. Marina says

    October 24, 2022 at 8:28 am

    I love how you give so much detail in your recipes and also add a note/s. This is what make your recipes far superior to others. It not just how to make the dish but ingredients, brands etc

    Reply
  2. melissa says

    October 19, 2022 at 1:13 pm

    hmmm, the only problem with this recipe is that it says that it serves 4 (as a side salad), Nope, all wrong. This one just served me (I scoffed it all before the family had a taste!). Cant wait to have it with homegrown Summer tomatoes. This will be a daily addiction all Summer.

    Reply
    • Sandra says

      December 24, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      Anyone made this in the morning ready to take to a Xmas lunch? Recipe says serve immediately but I want to pre make. How does it hold up?

      Reply
  3. Holly says

    August 13, 2022 at 8:38 am

    5 stars
    If you are thinking meh, this is a simple tomato salad and nothing new, then I encourage you to make this if you have good tomatoes handy – it’s bomb good. So fresh, bright and flavourful. I had garden fresh beefsteak tomatoes, basil and green onion so I used the whites of my onions in place of the shallots. Brilliant Nagi! Simple food done right is my favourite kind. I might enjoy this as a main with some fresh burrata and crusty bread next time.

    Thank you Nagi! 🖐️

    Reply
    • LaStarr Heiliger says

      September 23, 2022 at 4:36 am

      You are right, this is a great simple salad with wow factor – perfect

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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