Tomato and Onion Salad is the perfect salad for any dinner table. This refreshing summer salad is made with juicy fresh tomatoes, sweet onion, simple seasoning, and balsamic vinegar dressing. Just 5-ingredients + salt and black pepper!
Serve this delicious salad as a great side dish to garlic chicken pasta, baked ziti, over scrambled eggs, over baked fish, or on top of crusty gluten free bread similar to tomato bruschetta.
There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!
Table Of Contents
If you like easy and fresh salad recipes please take a look at my similar recipes such as Tomato Basil and Mozzarella Salad and Marinated Cucumber, Onion and Tomato Salad.
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Tomatoes - I’ve used large ripe tomatoes that are each cut into 6 thinner wedges. You could use smaller tomatoes such as grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or heirloom tomatoes, cut into quarters.
- Onion - A sweet onion is best for this salad. Cut the raw onions in half-moons. You can also use red onion for a more intense flavor. To make their flavor less strong you can soak the slices in cold water for 15-30 minutes.
- Olive oil - Using good olive oil of the highest quality will make a huge difference to the taste of this onion salad recipe. If you don't have olive oil, you can also use vegetable oil, canola oil or avocado oil.
- Balsamic vinegar - This is the popular choice for this simple salad but you could also use red wine vinegar, simple vinaigrette, or tangy vinaigrette dressing.
- Salt - A teaspoon of salt to taste is all you need. Kosher salt or table salt will do.
- Oregano - Use ½ teaspoon or 1 teaspoon for more flavor. Fresh herbs such as fresh basil or fresh dill would also be great additions to the refreshing side dish. My go-to dried herbs are usually oregano, basil, thyme, or a blend of different Italian seasonings.
Instructions
Slice the onions and tomatoes into a large bowl.
In a small bowl combine olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar), and season with oregano (or a mix of 2-3 dried Italian herbs), and generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss tomatoes and onion generously in the dressing.
I like to sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top right before serving.
Serve right away.
Tips
- Buy your tomatoes directly from a farmers' market to get the best tomatoes during tomato season.
- Always check your tomatoes for any marks, bruises, or blemishes. Use tomatoes immediately if their skin has split since purchasing them.
- Since I’ve used large tomatoes, I prefer to slice them into thin wedges but you can cut your juicy tomatoes in half or in quarters, especially when using smaller tomatoes such as Cherry or Grape tomatoes.
- Using the best quality olive oil will really add to the flavor of this salad. Something like Italian Nocellara extra virgin olive oil is great although you can use whatever quality brand that you enjoy the most.
- To intensify the flavors in this simple salad, allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- You can use this delicious salad as a base, adding in other ingredients such as seeds, fresh herbs, nuts, or even shredded meat like chicken or turkey.
- Leftover tomato salad can be added to a blender together with other tasty ingredients to make a salsa or you can toss them into a leafy green salad so that nothing goes to waste!
- This salad is best enjoyed immediately at room temperature. Leftovers won’t keep well for long since the tomatoes will release more liquid as time goes on.
- What else can I add to this salad? This fresh tomato salad is great as a simple salad with fresh herbs. You could also bulk up this salad by including quartered English cucumber (or Kirby cucumber) as a tomato cucumber salad, add in canned and drained chickpeas, fresh mozzarella balls, feta cheese, or even some small pasta of choice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this salad as a part of shared appetizers or as a side dish for your favorite main course:
ALL DINNER recipes.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
To Store: This salad is best when served right away. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days, however, the flavor is not the freshest on the second day.
Make ahead: Dressing can be made in advance for 1-2 days but for best results, other ingredients should be cut and combined right before serving.
No freezing.
FAQ
Something I always keep in mind when preparing this and other salads is the weather conditions. If I make this salad during hot summer then I’ll keep the tomatoes and onion chilled in the fridge prior to cutting them and assembling the salad - it really makes the salad taste better!
Another way to intensify the taste of this fresh salad is to add ½ or 1 teaspoon sugar (white granulated). This simple hack amplifies the spices and fresh ingredients flavors.
Regular tomatoes are perfect for this salad. If you prefer smaller tomatoes then consider Cherry or Grape tomatoes, cut into quarters instead of thin slices.
Easy Side Salad Recipes
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Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
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Recipe
Tomato and Onion Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 3 large tomatoes (cut in 6 thinner wedges)
- 1 medium sweet onion (cut into half moons)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon oregano or 1 teaspoon for more flavor
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice the onions and tomatoes into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and season with oregano (or a mix of 2-3 dried Italian herbs), and generously with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss tomatoes and onion generously in the dressing.
- Sprinkle sea salt flakes on top before serving. Serve right away.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Pat
The overall post is too wordy and long. While the recipe is good, I was discouraged by the length of the post.
Although it may solely be my opinion, all the chat part of the blog could be reduced considerably and it would improve the overall post.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Pat, I don't get what part of the post you call ''chat''. All the info is relevant to the recipe with useful tips and FAQs which helps a reader to make this recipe a success from the first try. In addition, I always provide a skip to recipe button in the beginning of the each post.
Robin
I also ad a drizzle of honey to make it sweet and tart
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
sounds delicious!