Tomatoes are at their best in the summer, and here at EatingWell we like to take full advantage of them. If the tomatoes in your garden are ripe, or you just picked up some delicious heirlooms from the grocery store, consider making one of these tomato salad recipes. If you’re looking for something simple, our marinated cherry tomato salad is an easy side. If you want a full meal, our Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata is a satisfying dish. Either way, we let the fresh and juicy flavor of tomatoes shine in these easy recipes.
Smashed Cucumber & Tomato Salad
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Joshua Hoggle
This refreshing salad is a summertime favorite, offering a cool contrast to the hotter dishes it often accompanies. Chinkiang vinegar, a Chinese black vinegar with rich, tangy depth, adds a complexity to the dressing, but rice vinegar will work well in its place. This comes together in under an hour and delivers big flavor with minimal effort.
Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salad with Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette
Ali Redmond
Crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado create a delicious contrast in this easy salad. Tossed with a zesty lemon-shallot vinaigrette, this salad is bright, tangy and perfectly balanced. It’s best served right away, as the cucumbers tend to release water over time, which can dilute the vinaigrette.
Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad
Andrea Mathis
This marinated salad is such a healthy way to enjoy those fresh summer veggies and can be easily customized. Try adding some fresh herbs or feta cheese for a little more flavor. You can also swap in seasoned pepper in place of the plain ground pepper for a flavor boost.
Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad
In this easy cherry tomato salad, the fresh herbs and bright dressing highlight the natural sweetness of the summery tomatoes. Elevate the look of this easy salad by using multicolored tomatoes if you can find them.
Grilled Flank Steak with Tomato Salad
Cutting the steak immediately after cooking breaks all the rules on meat cookery, but in this recipe we do it intentionally in order to capture the juices and incorporate them into the dressing. Serve this grilled flank steak recipe with crusty bread to soak up the deliciousness.
3-Ingredient White Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This three-ingredient lunch takes a packaged salad kit to the next level with the addition of two pantry staples: cherry tomatoes and white beans. The Mediterranean flavor profile works well here, but another mix would be just as simple and satisfying.
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pickled Onions
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
Pickled onions add tangy flavor to this simple tomato salad. Use your favorite varieties of tomatoes—even cherry tomatoes, Matthew Raiford’s wife’s favorite, will be delicious (you’ll need about 6 cups total). The pickling liquid is worth saving: you can pickle more vegetables with it, or whisk with oil and fresh herbs for a simple vinaigrette.
Purslane, Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Mint
Purslane is a nutrient-packed green with a bright, lemony flavor and delicate crunch. Many gardeners in the U.S. consider it a weed, but Cypriots use it to make refreshing salads. If it isn’t growing in your own yard, try calling a local vegetable farmer, who might be pleased to give some away, or you can order it from melissas.com or chefs-garden.com. If you can’t find it, watercress makes a peppery substitute.
5-Minute Tomato Salad
Jillian Atkinson
In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris’ series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian offers a summer salad that is simply delicious, but not for the fainthearted. Minced fresh garlic gives this salad, inspired from a visit to Guadeloupe, its special flavor.
Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Seek out several varieties of heirloom tomatoes for this simple salad. Sweeter and juicier than conventional tomatoes, they add the perfect pop of color.
Creamy Cucumber, Radish & Tomato Chopped Salad
A mix of cool, crunchy vegetables gives this healthy salad satisfying bite for a perfect potluck side.
Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall
The basil dressing packs a punch in this caprese salad with cherry tomatoes. Dark balsamic vinegar is traditional, but to make the color pop, white balsamic vinegar can be used in its place.
Egyptian Tossed Salad
This crisp blend of vegetables is offered as a topping or side at Zooba, the Egyptian street food restaurant in New York City. We made it a stand-alone salad to stuff into pita with taameya (Egyptian falafel–see Associated Recipes) or serve with just about anything else. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)
Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata
For a gorgeous take on a classic caprese, make this healthy salad recipe with heirloom tomatoes in various colors, shapes and sizes. Swapping regular mozzarella for creamy burrata makes this summer salad even more special–but it’s still incredibly easy to make.
Tomato, Watermelon & Avocado Salad
Enjoy this refreshing healthy salad recipe as a side dish or dice the tomatoes, watermelon and avocado smaller (1/2- to 1/4-inch pieces) and serve as a condiment for grilled fish, shrimp or chicken.
