Whether you say to-may-to or to-mah-to, one thing is for certain: this salad is ridiculously refreshing. With juicy tomatoes, a simple red wine vinaigrette, thinly sliced red onion, herbs, and crumbled feta, this satisfyingly simple tomato salad is like the little black dress of the summer. It’s equally welcome at a backyard BBQ or a more elegant dinner party, and can be served alongside so many different grilled meats or vegetable sides. Trust me—don’t let tomato season go by without making this as many times as possible.
How To Make Tomato Salad
INGREDIENTS
- Red Onion: Crisp red onion slices are the perfect complement to soft, juicy tomato wedges. Soaking the onion in ice water for 10 minutes mellows the bite of raw onion, so its flavor doesn’t dominate the salad.
- Vinaigrette: I am going for a pretty simple, zippy vinaigrette here of red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Even the best-of-season tomatoes benefit from a short soak in a vinaigrette before serving. The salt will draw out some of the tomato juices into the vinaigrette, and each bite of tomato will have the sweet–tangy flavor of the dressing.
- Tomatoes: In the summer, ripe tomatoes, particularly larger ones, should feel heavy for their size and smell, well, like a ripe tomato. Plum tomatoes or grape tomatoes are consistent, flavorful choices if you crave a tomato salad in the spring, fall, or winter.
- Feta: Firm, salty feta is an almost crouton-like presence here, albeit a less crunchy one. Crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese would work as well.
- Herbs: A shower of finely chopped fresh herbs added just before serving adds an extra pop of flavor. Tarragon and parsley or basil and mint are both great here.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Because we want the tomatoes to be the star of this salad, we need to take a little bit of the bite out of the raw red onions. Do this by placing the sliced onions in a bowl and covering them with ice water. Let the onions sit in the water, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, then drain the water and pat the onions dry.
As the onions soak, prepare the vinaigrette by combining red wine vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard and whisking together. While constantly whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil until emulsified. Then season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the tomatoes, stirring gently to coat them evenly and thoroughly. Allow the tomatoes to soak in the vinaigrette for about 5 minutes.
Add in the feta, herbs, and red onions to the salad and toss to combine, then serve immediately and enjoy.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
- Make this recipe in season. While you can find tomatoes in grocery stores year-round, they aren’t going to be as bright and flavorful out of season. Since this salad is so simple, you really want to make sure all the details are squared away, and the ingredients are as fresh as possible.
- Try different tomatoes out. There are a wide variety of tomatoes out there, and each brings something a little different to the table. While it may be easy to stick to what you know, take a look at our tomato guide to find your perfect tomato variety for this, and other, recipes.
Storage
This salad is best eaten the day of for best texture and flavor, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, though the tomatoes may lose some of their texture.
