This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy, healthy tomato salad is filled with flavor. Made with fresh tomatoes, red onions, and a handful of parsley tossed in a light citrus dressing. Enjoy as a main dish or a side to your favorite entree.
A tomato salad is a dish I enjoy all throughout the year. Whether I use tomatoes that I pick up from my local farmers market or ones I buy from the grocery store, this salad is always spectacular. It’s filled with fresh ingredients and flavor and can be ready in minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
- This mediterranean tomato salad is made with a few simple ingredients that bring out the best in tomatoes.
- It’s absolutely delicious!
- This salad is easily customizable. You can add in other ingredients like feta cheese or kalamata olives.
- A tomato salad is healthy and hearty. Enjoy it as a side dish to go along with your favorite meal, or as a main dish. You can even use it as a topping for grilled or baked chicken and fish.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Tomato: Ripe tomatoes are absolutely key to making a great tomato salad. You can use regular tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or heirloom tomatoes to make this salad. Be sure to cut the tomato into bite-sized pieces so that the juices from the tomato can run together with the oil, lemon juice, and other ingredients.
- Parsley: I use finely chopped curly parsley in this recipe, and lots of it. Flat parsley would be tasty too.
- Red Onion: I normally use just 2-3 slices of red onions, but feel free to add more if you like. Slice your onion into thin pieces so it doesn’t overpower each bite and be sure to see below for ways to use up any leftover onions and other ingredients from this recipe.
- Capers: Capers are the unripened bud of the caper bush. The bud is pickled in brine and are quite tangy and add a lovely lemony burst of flavor to many dishes.
- Garlic: I use 1 clove of garlic in my tomato salad. You can mince fresh garlic with a sharp knife or use a microplane grater. A grater is a sharp zester and will allow you to enjoy the fresh garlic flavor without encountering any large pieces of garlic in your dressing. Personally, I love the taste of garlic so I just use a knife to chop mine.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this tomato salad recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh or bottle lemon juice.
- Salt and black pepper: Please don’t skip the salt! It’s really important, and not just for flavor. The salt will draw the juices out of the fresh tomato and helps to create a glorious sauce when combined with the other ingredients.
- Optional add-ins: You might like to consider adding fresh basil, which always goes well with tomatoes, fresh dill, feta cheese, or cucumbers.
How To Make This Recipe
- Place the chopped tomato, red onion, parsley, and capers in a small bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the tomato and onion mixture and use a fork or spoon to combine. Be sure to taste for seasoning, and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
This salad is delicious straight out of the bowl, but you can use it as a side or topping. Here are a few ways to serve tomato salad:
* Serve with good, crusty bread such as homemade french bread as a light lunch or hearty appetizer.
* Use it as a topping for baked fish or broiled chicken.
* Toss the tomato salad with some pasta for a simple, summery pasta dish.
The best tomatoes are home grown and can also be found at farmers markets and on roadside stands. You can also find wonderful tomatoes in your supermarket.
* Look for tomatoes that have a deep, consistent coloring. Avoid tomatoes with blemishes, bruising, or wrinkled skin.
* Ripe, delicious tomatoes should feel heavy for their size.
* Smell the tomato – it should have a sweet, earthy smell.
Store the tomato salad, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Expert Tips
- You can double the ingredients in this tomato salad recipe if you would like to make extra.
- For very best flavor use fresh, ripe tomatoes.
- This recipe can be made with just about any type of tomato. Use the freshest tomatoes you can find, regardless of the type. Cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and hothouse tomatoes are excellent choices.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
You might like to consider using any ingredients leftover from this mediterranean tomato salad recipe in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Tomatoes: Cioppino, Chicken Caprese, Ratatouille
- Parsley: Baked Cod with Chermoula, Crawfish Beignets, Chicken Margherita
- Red onions: Mediterranean Chicken, Spinach and Orzo Salad, Guacamole Salad
- Capers: Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata
- Garlic: Roasted Garlic, Olives and Feta, Hamburger Casserole, Pesto
- Olive oil: Southwest Wrap, Seared Scallops, Spinach Manicotti
- Lemon juice: Alfredo Sauce, Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Scones
If you’ve tried this tomato salad or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Recipe
Tomato Salad For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large tomato , chopped
- 3 thin slices red onions
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the chopped tomato, red onion, parsley, and capers in a small bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the tomato and onion mixture and use a fork or spoon to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Enjoy immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- You can double the ingredients in this tomato salad recipe if you would like to make extra.
- For very best flavor, use fresh, ripe tomatoes.
- This recipe can be made with just about any type of tomato. Use the freshest tomatoes you can find, regardless of they type. Cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and hothouse tomatoes are excellent choices.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
One of my favorites! I use some of your add on ideas when I have them.
So glad to hear you’re enjoying the tomato salad and making it your own with the add-on ideas! Fresh ingredients really do make all the difference. Keep experimenting and thanks for the love!
Light, fresh and oh so GOOD!
Love the salad and the dressing!
Excellent, thank you. I added chopped avocado and cucumber, served it over greens. It was perfect alongside my peas omelette and basmati rice. Thank you for all your wonderful mini recipes.
I make something similar only I use tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, onions, basil, and bits of mozzarella
Thank you for your excellent recipes. You have been there for me through COVID. I enjoyed trying your Recipes for One. They were quick and easy and I looked forward to a different treat every day. Ingredients were easy to find in my cupboard so less running to the store during the pandemic. 😋
I’m so happy our recipes have been helpful to you, Marie. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.