Cherry tomato salad is simply the best summer salad you’ll ever make! This salad is ideal to be served with anything that comes off the grill! It tastes delicious after it has been marinated for an hour. You’ll love it with grilled chimichurri chicken and grilled tilapia.
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Use juicy ripe summer tomatoes that are available in abundance during the season to make delicious simple salads like roasted cherry tomatoes, Tuscan Panzanella salad, or marinated tomatoes salad.
Why does this salad work?
- The best way to use fresh summer tomatoes that are available is bountiful and turn them into delicious onion and tomato salad.
- You’ll need simple ingredients.
- It’s a simple salad but has loads of amazing flavors.
- Easy to customize.
- It pairs perfectly with almost everything (meat) that comes of the grilled.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes – use ripe, firm, fresh tomatoes. Choose tomatoes that have less liquid like cherry or grape tomatoes. If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, ripe Roma tomatoes can be used, make sure you cut them into quarters lengthwise.
- Red onion – Red onions are great in salads, if you don’t like the sharp astringent flavor of raw onion, use pickled red onion.
- EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) – use premium quality EVOO for the best taste.
- Red Wine Vinegar – Use the best quality red wine vinegar. Red wine vinegar stirred into the salad takes the edge of raw onions!
- Herbs – Summer salads taste best with fresh herbs like fresh basil or fresh mint.
Variations
This tomato salad is so versatile, you can add more ingredients and it’ll be tasty.
- Add small balls of mozzarella cheese (or cubed mozzarella), and ripe avocado.
- Feel free to add fresh peaches too.
- Include greens like arugula in the salad.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Chop cherry tomatoes into halves.
Step 2: Slice red onions. If you don’t like the sharp astringent flavor of raw onion, use pickled red onion.
Step 3: To a large bowl add cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, fresh herbs, salt, crushed pepper, and red wine vinegar. Drizzle EVOO over it.
Step 4: Gently toss the salad. Let the salad sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Serve the salad with grilled chimichurri chicken or any grilled meat.
Useful tips
- You can use a mix of tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, and yellow grape tomatoes.
- For herbs you any or a mix – fresh basil leaves, fresh mint leaves, and fresh oregano.
- Dried herbs will not do justice to the salad. Use only fresh herbs.
Serving Ideas
You’ll love it with grilled chimichurri chicken, grilled tilapia, pork chops, or beef. For vegetarian meals serve tomato salad alongside roasted cauliflower steaks.
Recipe FAQs
Choose tomatoes that have less liquid like cherry or grape tomatoes. If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, ripe Roma tomatoes can be used, make sure you cut them into quarters lengthwise.
Yes, leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container closed with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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📋The Best Summer Cherry Tomato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pints fresh cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar good quality
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped fine
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place chopped tomatoes, sliced red onions in a salad mixing bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- Season with crushed peppers and salt to taste.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped basil leaves.
- Gently toss everything together.
- Let the salad sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
- Serve the salad with your favorite grilled meat.
Video
Notes
- You can use a mix of tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, yellow grape tomatoes.
- For herbs you any or a mix of – fresh basil leaves, fresh mint leaves, fresh oregano.
- Note: dried herbs will not do justice to the salad. Use only fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and I’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2014 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Comments & Reviews
Michelle Crowl says
In the ingredient list, there is no crushed peppers. But in the instructions it calls for crushed peppers. Can you help me with that?
Jyothi Rajesh says
Michelle, sorry for the confusion. Pepper is mentioned in the ingredients list, I have written it as “Salt and pepper to taste”. Sorry if this is confusing, salt and pepper (crushed pepper) can be added as per taste. Please start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Hope this helps.
Elizabeth Mulgrew says
Pull this easy and tasty recipe out when you need a quick, nutritious and fresh-tasting side! Better yet, memorize it. I always spend too much effort on the main dish and then am at my wits end for a side! This takes care of that problem! Who doesn’t like fresh tomatoes and basil? Thanks for sharing!
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad you liked it Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Shawnalee says
This salad is so good & easy to make! We love it
& will be making it a lot this Summer!!! Thank you for sharing.
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad you loved this recipe Shawnalee! Thank you for the feedback
Rand Dawoud says
what can i use instead of red wine vinegar?
Jyothi Rajesh says
Substitute with apple cider vinegar, champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar. Use high quality vinegar
Marinda Sherman says
Made just as written with our fresh picked grape tomatoes, fresh basil from our kitchen garden and it’s tonight’s side salad.b
Jyothi Rajesh says
I’m so glad you loved it Marinda! Thank you!
Corry Ross says
I can’t eat basil, what herb could I use instead.
Jyothi Rajesh says
fresh mint, fresh oregano can be used instead of basil
Pam says
Wonderfully easy, very tasty! Wish you had more reviews as you deserve thousands of 5 stars 🌟 🤩
Jyothi Rajesh says
You are so kind. Thank you very much Pam! I’m so glad you loved this salad!
Nick says
So good! If you can, during the summer, grow your own cherry tomatoes. Added a little feta, and accidentally added the red pepper, and that added a nice kick 🙂
Jyothi Rajesh says
I’m so glad you loved the recipe