Italian Tomato Salad Recipe
This zesty Italian Tomato Salad is bursting with fresh, ripe tomatoes, basil, and garlic tossed in a simple dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
- ¼ peeled thinly sliced red onion
- 1 thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 chiffonade fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano leaves
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fan out the tomatoes across a plate or platter.
- Next, evenly spread out the onions and garlic over the top of the tomatoes.
- Drizzle on the vinegar and oil, and then evenly sprinkle the basil and oregano all over the top.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
The better the quality of the tomatoes, the better the salad—simple as that. You want them to be firm but ripe and bursting with flavor. Soft or mealy tomatoes won’t do this salad justice. If your tomatoes are underripe, let them sit out at room temperature for a day or two to give them time to ripen and develop flavor.
Tame the onion’s bite: If raw onion is too sharp for your taste, soak the slices in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat the slices dry before adding them to the salad. This keeps the crunch while toning down the strong flavor.
Chiffonade fresh herbs: Chiffonade is a fancy culinary term for slicing herbs into delicate ribbons. To chiffonade the basil, stack the leaves, roll them up like a cigar, and slice them crosswise into thin strips. It makes the basil look beautiful and distributes its flavors more evenly over the salad.
Marinate the salad: While the fresh tomato salad is delicious when served immediately, letting it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes gives the flavors a chance to mingle. The salt will also start pulling the juices from the tomatoes, creating a light, flavorful tomato dressing right on the plate.
Add-in ideas: Customize your salad by topping it with crumbled feta, fresh mozzarella balls, sliced cucumbers, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, olives, or a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Make-Ahead: You can make this salad 10 to 15 minutes ahead of serving. This gives the tomatoes time to marinate and soften slightly.
How to Store: If you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and eat them within 1 day. I don’t recommend freezing this salad, since the tomatoes and basil won’t hold up well after thawing.
Nutrition
Calories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 570mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1927IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg