You can make Italian Tomato Salad with Onions in 10 minutes! You'll love this delicious and refreshing summer salad! Serve it as a side dish or a healthy meal.
I'm having a hard time concentrating because I'm salivating over that gorgeous Italian Tomato Salad. It's summer in a bowl!
Technically, this is a side dish recipe, but I've been known to make a meal out of those juicy tomatoes and onions with a chunk of bread to dip in the delicious, balsamic dressing. Like Italian Bean Salad and Italian Potato Salad, this dish relies on a simple, homemade vinaigrette to tie it all together.
But you don't even need to whisk the dressing for the tomato salad. You can just drizzle on the oil and vinegar, sprinkle on the seasonings, and toss gently.
You can make this easy tomato salad in 10 minutes. Once you get the hang of it, you won't even need a recipe! And you have to try it in this panzanella!
Recipe ingredients
This healthy, simple tomato salad is a vegan dish if you make it without cheese.
Tomatoes: Start with ripe, slightly firm tomatoes that "give" a little when you squeeze them. You can use vine tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, beefsteak ones or any variety from your garden. You'll need about 1.5 to 2 pounds.
Red Onions: Red onions provide the perfect accent to fresh tomatoes, offering savory flavor with a hint of sweetness. You can skip the onions altogether if you're in the mood for a milder-tasting tomato salad.
Olive Oil: Use your favorite kind. You just need a couple of tablespoons.
Balsamic Vinegar: We use white balsamic vinegar (affiliate link) for its light color and refreshing taste, but feel free to use dark balsamic vinegar if that's what you have. Keep in mind, if you add fresh mozzarella to the salad, dark vinegar will stain it.
Basil: Fresh basil makes this dish. I buy a basil plant at the grocery store and keep it on my window sill so I can throw those fragrant leaves into my summer salads and homemade tomato sauce any time. You can substitute dried herbs, but you'll be missing out!
Seasonings: You just need salt, pepper and garlic powder. Salt will draw out juices from the tomatoes and add to the delicious pool of dressing at the bottom of the bowl. You'll want to drink it with a spoon!
How to make it
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges. (If using small cherry or grape tomatoes, just cut them in half.)
- Chop the onions.
- Add the tomatoes, onions, basil, seasonings, oil and vinegar to a serving bowl (affiliate link) and stir with two spoons to mix.
Recipe tips & add-ins
- It's best to make this the same day you serve it. By the following day, the tomato salad will be a bit soft. (It'll still be delicious though, and you'll have marinated tomatoes.)
- Serve the tomato salad at room temperature for the best taste and texture. (But, I won't blame you if you pull it out of the fridge and eat it while standing at the counter!)
- Consider add-ins such as black olives, celery, cucumbers or mozzarella cheese. You can make a Caprese-style salad with fresh mozzarella or use cubes of regular mozzarella. You can even cut up mozzarella sticks to throw into the tomato salad!
What to serve with it
You have to dunk some crusty Italian bread into the juices from the fresh tomato salad! Or cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces and enjoy the salad in cod tacos or on friselle (twice-baked bread). It's one of the best things in life!
You also have to try this tomato side dish with Parmesan-crusted pork chops, pinwheel steak, Italian chicken cutlets or crispy breaded fish. And don't forget to scoop some onto plain steak or hamburgers!
More tomato recipes to try
- Pasta Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
- Eggplant Caponata
- Italian Green Beans and Tomatoes
- Sautéed Mushrooms with Tomatoes
- Tomato Bruschetta
And don't miss these Italian Side Dish Recipes (Contorni)!
Enjoy!
If you try this Italian Tomato Salad recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Italian Tomato Salad with Onions
Ingredients
- 6 medium tomatoes (such as vine tomatoes; 1 ½ - 2 pounds total)
- ⅓ cup chopped red onion (from about ¼ of a red onion)
- 10 fresh basil leaves (plus a few for garnish, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or dark)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Italian bread for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Remove any stems from the tomatoes. Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Cut a small circle around the core to remove it. Cut each tomato in half, then slice those halves into wedges about 1-inch thick. Place the cut tomatoes in a medium serving bowl.
- Peel a red onion and cut it in half. Cut one of the halves in half again. Chop that wedge of onion until you have ⅓ cup of chopped onions and add them to the bowl of tomatoes. (Rrefrigerate the remaining onion for another use.)
- Lightly rinse the basil leaves and pat them dry with paper towels. Use kitchen scissors or a knife to cut them into small pieces and add them to the bowl of tomatoes.
- Drizzle on the olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss the tomato salad with two spoons until it's combined.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days, but it's best to serve it the day you make it. The tomatoes will start getting soft after the first day. Stir leftover tomato salad before eating it.
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
CR says
I could eat this every day! It’s so good and easy to make.
Mamma C says
Hi CR - I agree! I'm so glad you enjoyed this.
Margaret Little says
Sorry to hear that your Mom’s in the hospital. My tomatoes are just flowering so I’m saving this recipe for later.
Mamma C says
Hi Margaret - Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy the tomato salad!
Charlene Angie says
I make the salad all the time it’s really one of my favorites. My recipe is the same as yours I’m Italian, of course. Love love love it.
Mamma C says
Hi Charlene - It's so good!