Italian Tomato Salad Recipe (2024)

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Fresh Italian tomato salad“insalata di pomodori“with red onion, herbs and capers. Fresh oregano, dill, chives or basil are just theperfect compliment to thesweet and fragrant heirloom tomatoes and zesty salad dressing.

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Italian Tomato Salad

There’s nothing as easy and simple as making a pomodoro salad. Choosing the right tomatoes is a different story and it is what will make or break a salad. So stay away from watery half ripened out of season tomatoes and wait to make this until the heirloom tomatoes hit the farmers market.

Choosing the Tomatoes

Go for heavy irregular shaped heirlooms that are heavy for their size, they are a real treat for the tastebuds. You can mix a variety of colors if you like, for this particular recipe I wanted to stick with the classic red “ox heart variety” or “cuore di bue” in Italian.

Try and stay away from the plum shaped variety like San Marzano that are best used to make a divine Marinara sauce.

What’s special about heirloom tomatoes?

  • Heirlooms are grown from seeds passed down from generation to generation and are at least 50 years old. They are always open pollinated meaning they rely on the wind and insects to naturally pollinate them.
  • Non-GMO and grown on a small scale heirlooms produce way better flavor than commercially grown hybrids, therefore being ideal for use in classic dishes like this salad. Usually irregular in shape, size and color, the seeds have been saved by growers from what they considered be the best plants then passed down to the next generation.

About the Onion

A sweet crunchy red onion or Italian purple spring onions are ideal. Scallions work great as well and so do the sweet Maui onion or Vidalia variety which lend the salad a milder flavor. Try and stay away from the sharp white onions if at all possible, unless of course you happen to prefer those.

Making Italian Tomato Salad Dressing

  • Keep it simple – Classic red wine vinegar and a drizzle of good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is all that’s needed here. Remember, it’s about the perfection of tomatoes and all those juices will be a major component of the dressing.
  • Make it oil-free – Replace the olive oil in the recipe with a juicy heirloom tomato blended until smooth with the vinegar and a couple of fresh basil leaves.
  • Variation – The classic vinegar used in Italian tomato salads is always red wine vinegar. Of course you can get creative and experiment with white wine, apple cider vinegar and even balsamic.

Salad Maceration Period

Allowing the tomato salad to sit for a few minutes and macerate in the dressing really brings out the individual flavors of its ingredients. This is an important step!

About the Salt

Normally I do not encourage the consumption of salt at all. However when making tomato salad a little pinch of Flour de Sel flakes or a little coarse pink salt takes it to perfection by bringing out the natural tomato juices. The Italian word “Insalata” itself means Salted!

Add Ins Ideas

  • yellow peaces + peach balsamic vinegar <—seriously Divine!
  • vegan feta, mozzarella or ricotta
  • black olives
  • toasted pine nuts + chive pesto
  • steamed green beans
  • crunchy cornmeal croutons
  • basil pesto or pomegranate drizzle
  • stale bread or garlic bruschetta to make it a Tuscan Panzanella or Pugliese Cialledda.

How to Make Italian Tomato Salad

P.S. If you make this recipeplease come back here to rate it, snap a photo and tag me with #VeggieSociety on Instagram, it always makes my day seeing what yourecreated from the blog ~ Florentina Xo’s

Italian Tomato Salad Recipe (6)

5 from 1 vote

Italian Tomato Onion Salad

Fresh Italian tomato salad“insalata di pomodori“with red onion, herbs and caper in a red wine vinegar dressing.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:0 minutes mins

Maceration period:5 minutes mins

Total Time:15 minutes mins

Ingredients

WFPB Oil-Free Dressing:

Instructions

  • Using a very sharp knife slice the tomatoes into small wedges and add them to a serving bowl with the capers.

  • Slice the purple onion into thin strips or rounds and sprinkle on top of the tomatoes. Add the fresh oregano, dill, chives and basil.

  • Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and red wine vinegar.

  • Season with the Fleur the Sel sea salt and gently toss to coat. Allow to macerate at room temperature for 5minutes.

  • Garnish with the chive blossoms and serve promptly with a few extra flakes of Fleur de Sel on top to your taste.

  • OPTIONAL: Add vegan feta cheese on top if you desire, I love the one from Follow Your Heart or you can make your own.

Make the Oil-Free Dressing:

  • Peel the tomato and blend together with the vinegar until smooth. Add a little water if you need to stretch it out then season to taste with sea salt.

Notes

If you plan to swap the fresh oregano in the recipe for dry you must be very mindful. The flavor is more intense and can easily overpower the rest of the herbs and tomatoes and greatly alter the taste of your salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 547mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2555IU | Vitamin C: 41.7mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian Tomato Salad

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Florentina

Italian Tomato Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best salad tomato? ›

Baby Tomatoes: Cherry, Grape, and co*cktail

Easily halved, cherry tomatoes are ideal for all sorts of salads, especially pasta salads. They aren't only enjoyed raw, however. Because they're so juicy, cherry tomatoes make a delicious a sauce, like in our Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta.

What is the simple Italian salad made of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil? ›

A good Caprese salad relies on good ingredients, so seek out the best tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella you can find to make this delicious summer salad.

What kind of tomatoes do restaurants use for salad? ›

Roma Tomatoes are a popular choice for salsa-making due to their dense and meaty texture, small number of seeds, and full-of-flavor tanginess. Variations of this tomato are sometimes called “plum” or “paste” tomatoes. Red Beefsteak Tomatoes are another favorite for those who favor a juicier tomato in their salsa.

Do you salt tomatoes for salad? ›

Capitalize on the tomato's natural juiciness, and add salt just at the very end. It's a great way to enhance BLTs, breakfast sandwiches, Caprese salads, pan con tomate, bruschetta, and beyond.

What is the main ingredient in tomatoes? ›

Lycopene is the main dietary carotenoid in tomato and tomato-based food products and lycopene consumption by humans has been reported to protect against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive function and osteoporosis.

What type of mixture is Italian salad? ›

Explanation: Italian salad dressing is a type of heterogeneous mixture, also known as a mechanical mixture, because the composition is not uniform throughout. This means that the different components, such as oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices, do not completely blend into a single, uniform solution.

What is chopped Italian salad made of? ›

Salty salami, creamy mozzarella, olives, Parm, fresh basil and—oh yeah—some lettuce make this Italian chopped salad recipe truly crush-worthy. The key to a really great chopped salad is uniformity. We kind of want all of these ingredients to be roughly the same size, so keep that in mind as you slice and dice!

What does caprese mean in Italian? ›

As it's called in Italian, Insalata caprese, Caprese salad literally means “Salad of Capri.” Although nobody knows whether or not the salad was actually first made on the Italian island, it likely originated from a dish made in Capri from a different type of cheese, cacio, served with tomatoes.

What are the best tomatoes for salads? ›

Cherry tomatoes are small, round tomatoes that are perfect for snacking and salads. As their namesake suggests, they are about the same size and shape as a cherry. Most cherry tomatoes are red, but they do come in other colors like yellow and orange.

Should I remove seeds from tomatoes for salad? ›

It's a different story if you're making a salad, salsa, omelette or casserole. Scoop the seeds out from your tomatoes because otherwise they can ruin the consistency and make your dish watery.

What are 5 preparation methods for tomatoes? ›

This year, take your fresh garden tomatoes and try grilling, frying, sautéing, or roasting them for a tasty new way to enjoy this summer favorite. Try out a few different methods for cooked tomatoes, and once you find your favorite, it'll quickly become a staple at your dinner table.

What is the best tomato to eat raw? ›

If you will mostly be eating your tomatoes raw in salads, you might want to opt for a cherry or grape tomato variety, as they grow abundantly and are easy to prepare. If you plan to slice tomatoes for sandwiches, you'll probably want to opt for an heirloom variety or beefsteak tomato.

What is the best tasting tomato for a tomato sandwich? ›

Some of the tomatoes that professional chefs and foodies prefer to use on sandwiches are:
  • The Mortgage Lifter. Big sandwiches call for big tomatoes. ...
  • The Brandywine Tomato. Another type of heirloom beefsteak tomato with a fantastic rich flavor is the Brandywine tomato. ...
  • Big Boy Tomato. ...
  • Black Krim Tomato.
Sep 6, 2023

Which tomato is best for caprese? ›

When selecting tomatoes, choose fragrant ones that smell earthy at the stem end and feel heavy for their size. Avoid any with wrinkled skins. You can also make a caprese with smaller tomato varieties, such as plum, roma, cherry, grape, or sungold.

References

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