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Heirloom Tomato Salad is the perfect easy summer side dish. While the juicy, ripe tomatoes are the star, red onion, briny olives and fresh basil add lots of flavor too.
Summery Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe
It’s hard to resist colorful heirloom tomatoes when I see them at the farmers’ market, but sometimes I buy so many, I don’t know what to do with them all. This heirloom tomato salad solves that problem in a delicious way. A simple summer tomato salad made with Kalamata olives, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, and garden fresh basil, it’s my husband’s recipe and it’s become my favorite ways to eat tomatoes. We serve this as a side dish or for lunch with a nice crusty bread like my homemade Sourdough Bread.
Why This Salad Is My Family’s Favorite Way to Use Tomatoes
It’s not an exaggeration to say we make this multiple times every summer, especially when we get lots of tomatoes from the garden. Here’s why I love it.
- Simple: When you start with beautiful sun-ripened tomatoes, you don’t need to add a lot of other ingredients to make a delicious salad. And that means this recipe is incredibly easy, too.
- Versatile: Scale up the recipe for a party, toss it with orzo for an easy pasta salad, spoon it onto toasted slices of bread for bruschetta, or come up with your own way of serving it.
- Light and summery: When it’s hot outside, I rarely feel like big, heavy meals. I like that this salad is fresh and light!
If you’re looking for more ways to put tomatoes to use, try my Burst Tomato Cottage Cheese Caprese Bowl or Grape Tomato Sauce.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 /4
Cook Mode
In a bowl combine onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let it marinate about 5-10 minutes.
Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a plate.
Pour olive oil and onions on top and season with additional salt and pepper. Top with fresh basil and olives.
Divide equally in 4 plates.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 /4, Calories: 110.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 7.5 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 9 g, Sodium: 139 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is everything you’ll need to make this easy heirloom tomato salad. See the recipe card above for the exact measurements.
- Ripe Tomatoes, of course, are essential for this salad! While I most often use heirloom tomatoes, you can really use any variety, even cherry tomatoes.
- Red Onion has a sharp flavor that contrasts nicely with the sweet, acidic tomatoes.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil is all we need to dress this salad.
- Kalamata Olives add salty, briny flavor.
- Fresh Basil is one of my favorite pairings with tomatoes. The two just belong together!
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Pepper for seasoning.
How to Make Heirloom Tomato Salad
Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved in making this heirloom tomato salad. See the recipe card above for printable directions.
Marinate onions.
Arrange tomatoes on plate.
Add onions, basil, and olives.
- Marinate: Toss together the onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Arrange: Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a serving platter or plate.
- Assemble: Pour the olive oil and onion mixture over the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then scatter the basil and olives over the top.
Tomato Salad Variations
Here are a few more ways to make this heirloom tomato salad.
- Try different herbs: Almost any herb pairs well with tomatoes. Try fresh oregano, parsley, or dill, or a combination of herbs from your garden.
- Add cheese: Shaved Parmesan or sliced fresh mozzarella layered with the tomatoes would be delicious.
- Swap the olives for capers: They have a flavor that’s bright and briny at the same time.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some ideas for pairings with this tomato salad recipe.
Proper Storage
Refrigerate heirloom tomato salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like to let it come to room temperature before serving.
