Tomato Onion Salad is a fresh and rustic summer salad for your garden tomatoes! I make this salad almost daily in July and August when my tomatoes are at their peak and the garden is overflowing. It's so basic and simple but incredibly delicious, just ripe summer tomatoes, a few thin slices of onion, crumbled feta, fresh basil, a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Just 10 minutes and it goes with everything, grilled chicken, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, or just a piece of crusty bread to soak up all that tomato juice and vinegar at the bottom of the bowl. This salad is pure summer!
- The Inspiration! - Of course I started making this salad to use up my garden tomatoes when they are perfectly ripe and delicious on their own. But really, we were watching the World Cup this past summer, actually watching a video about Erling Halland, the 6'5 Norwegian soccer player, who is getting a reputation for eating really healthy. He was cooking a huge tomahawk steak, no doubt grass-fed from a local farm, cooked simply with potatoes. The woman with him made this very simple Tomato Salad, and while most people were eyeing the steak, I couldn't stop thinking about the salad! This is my version, since their recipe wasn't really shown, but basically it just lets the tomatoes shine!
- Summer - This is where the ingredients are so good they don't need much help. Don't make this salad in the winter with grocery store tomatoes, this is for summer only! I eat it for lunch, add it as a quick dinner side dish, and it's easy to adjust the size for a party or just yourself!
- More Summer Tomato Recipes? Try my Tomato White Bean Salad or these 21 Ways to Use Garden Tomatoes without Canning!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Less is more and simple is the key here, because garden tomatoes are one of the most delicious ingredients on their own!
- Garden Tomatoes - I love to grow a variety of tomatoes, different sizes and colors, especially because they just look gorgeous in a salad. You can really use any tomatoes you have, large ones cut up, red or yellow cherry tomatoes, as long as they are ripe and in season!
- Onion - Any kind of onion will work fine, yellow, white, red, shallots, any tiny onions from the garden, just slice them paper thin!
- Feta Cheese - This makes the salad! I like to buy a block of feta that comes in a tub of brine and crumble it myself.
- Basil - A few sprigs from the garden are the perfect flavor pairing for tomatoes.
- Olive Oil, Vinegar, Salt and Pepper - This is the very simple dressing, and you don't need to mix it separately, just drizzle and stir it in. You can use red or white wine vinegar.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
Amounts don't need to be exact, just a few fresh ingredients, and tomatoes fresh from the vine!
Step 1 - Chop your tomatoes, depending on size you can cut them into large chunks, slice cherry tomatoes in half, or just leave some whole.
Very thinly slice the onions, paper thin, adjust the amount to your liking!
Step 2 - Add all the ingredients to a bowl and toss well to combine.
Step 3 - Spoon the salad into a serving bowl, trying to save a few chunks of feta and the smaller tomatoes to go over the top. Garnish with basil leaves.
The salad can be served right away or can sit on the counter for up to an hour.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Ripe Tomatoes - This salad is nothing without great tomatoes. Peak summer, garden fresh, or farmer's market tomatoes are what make it extraordinary. Out of season grocery store tomatoes will not give you the same result, save this recipe just for late summer!
- Use a Sharp Knife - How easily your knife glides through a tomato skin will tell you if it's sharp or not! It's best to use a very sharp knife, with a dull knife you'll have to press harder to get through the tomato and you'll squeeze out and lose some of their juices.
- Slice the Onions Paper Thin - The onion should be barely there, a sharp flavor but in the background. Slice the onions as thin as you can, and use more or less depending on your love of onions! You could also substitute a minced clove of garlic.
- Storage and Leftovers - Leftover tomato salad is going to get watery as the salt pulls the liquid from the tomatoes. But this also intensifies the flavor, so not the worst thing! Eat leftovers the next day, you can use them as a quick bruschetta topping on toasted bread, spooned over scrambled eggs, tossed with pasta for a quick sauce, or spooned over grilled chicken or meat.
Recipe FAQs
This salad is best made fresh and eaten the same day. It can sit at room temperature for up to an hour and actually improves as the tomatoes release their juices a bit. After an hour the tomatoes start to soften too much and the feta can get a bit lost in all the liquid. Make it shortly before serving and let it sit on the counter a bit for the best texture and presentation.
Yes, you could substitute fresh mozzarella torn into pieces or big shavings of Parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler). You can also leave the cheese out, tomato, onion and basil with the dressing are delicious on their own.
Yes! Cucumber, peaches, red bell pepper, avocado chunks, Kalamata olives, or chickpeas would all be great variations to this salad!
More Summer Tomato Salads!
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Tomato Onion Salad
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 2 cups tomatoes any varieties
- ⅛ cup onion very sliced thin
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 grinds fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh basil roughly chopped plus whole leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and slice tomatoes into large pieces. Larger cherry tomatoes can be sliced in half or left whole. Very thinly slice a few onions, paper thin.
- Add all ingredients, including some roughly chopped basil, to a bowl and gently mix well to combine.
- Spoon into a serving bowl, getting some feta chunks and smaller cherry tomatoes visible over the top. Garnish with whole basil leaves and serve.
Notes
- Serve with bread or as a quick lunch or side dish with any summer meal!
- Tomatoes - Use any type of ripe summer tomatoes, include different sizes, types and colors if you have them!
- Onion - Any type of onion, white, yellow or red or shallots are all fine, you just need a few very thin slices.
- Salad can be served immediately or can sit on the counter for up to an hour. Letting it sit for 10 minutes or so lets it marinate a bit and improves flavor!
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