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.
Jump to:
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.
Don’t forget to Subscribe to CurryTrail Recipes below to get our newest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
If you love this recipe, keep in touch, and don’t miss out on any of Currytrail’s recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
📋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
Barbara says
Easy and delicious. I sliced the onions on a mandolin so they would not overpower the tomatoes. Really good.
Jyothi Rajesh says
Thank you very much Barbara, glad to know you loved the recipe!
Joyce G says
This was easy and soooo fresh! I have a container grape tomato plant and this was a perfect way to use some of those gems! Thank you!
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad you loved the salad! Thank you!
Morrisa says
It was a perfect balance of ingredients. It will work for a great side for brunch, lunch or dinner.
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad you are loving the recipe Morrisa! Thank you!
Bev says
Step 3 says to add crushed peppers and salad? What does that mean, crushed peppers are not in the ingredient list.
Jyothi Rajesh says
Oops sorry for the confusion, I meant add crushed pepper and *salt to taste. Pepper is mentioned in the ingredient list (it’s the last one – salt and pepper to taste)
Marie says
Going to make this right now…Can’t wait!! I have a question about the nutritional information. Is that per serving or for the whole salad? I have a question about the nutritional information. Is that per serving or for the whole salad?Thank you!
Jyothi Rajesh says
Marie – it’s values are for single servings. I served the batch for 4.
Ginny McMeans says
This truly was the best tomato summer salad. It was so fresh and clean and fast! Thank you!
Jyothi Rajesh says
Glad to hear that you liked the salad. It’s our favorite summer salad
Daniela Gerson says
Love cherry tomatoes and these pics are awesome!!! Thanks so much for sharing :)! Super inspired to get my cherry tomato game on this summer!
Jyothi Rajesh says
Glad you liked it
Marwin Brown says
This looks like a light and tasty salad that is so easy to make. Can’t wait to try!
Jyothi Rajesh says
Glad you liked it
Jamie says
The ingredient Street salt and pepper and then when you put it together it reads crushed pepper and salt is that still black pepper or crushed red pepper?
Jyothi Rajesh says
Sorry for the confusion. It is black pepper. There is no crushed red pepper used in this recipe. How it’s called with different terms across the world!
Heidy M` says
Your fresh tomato salad was delightful and the flavor was outstanding. One of the things I love about living in a tropical climate is we can enjoy recipes like your fresh tomato salad all year round! This was a keeper and I will be making it again.
Paige says
One of my favorite summer salads! This version looks great, and I’ll be sure to try it!
Tatiana says
I love how easy it is to make this salad! It’s fresh, flavorful, and just perfect for the summer! Great healthy idea for these quarantine days. 😀
Amanda says
I just love this salad! It’s so refreshing and quick to make, which is always appreciate during the summer months. This will definitely make a regular appearance throughout the season.
Dana says
This is such a great salad to share at potlucks! It’s incredibly easy to make but it’s also so very refreshing.
Ben says
I love how light this salad is and how easy it is to make. I can’t wait to try it.
Monica says
This is so fresh and flavorful, and I love that it actually is better made a little in advance – perfect to prep for a summer BBQ so you don’t have to worry about it right as you’re assembling buns and toppings and everything else!