This Tomato and Onion Salad has just 7 ingredients, and it's so easy to make! It's such a simple side salad you can have ready on the table in just 10 minutes. It's perfect for the summer with anything from the grill, but it's delicious any time of the year.
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Why You'll Love This Tomato and Onion Salad
The easiest side salad - This salad has just 7 very simple ingredients (including salt and pepper), and it takes just a few minutes to put together. It’s just tomatoes, parsley, onion, and a simple vinaigrette, but it packs a ton of flavor! It’s one of my favorite summer salads (we’ve been making it since I was a kid), and I’m sure it will be yours too!
Versatile and delicious with any meal - You can serve this salad with roast chicken, steak, grilled fish, seafood, sandwiches, other veggies, and so much more! It’s also really easy to double or triple, so it’s great for get-togethers, potlucks, or even picnics.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes - I used vine tomatoes because they're the perfect size for cutting into quarters without each piece being too big. You can use any other tomatoes, like heirloom, Roma, or cherry tomatoes. You'll just have to slice them differently based on their size.
- White onion - My family always made this salad with yellow onion, but because not everyone might like its sharp flavor, I opted for white onion in my version of the salad. It's a little sweeter, but it still adds the same flavor and crunch.
- Fresh parsley - You really need fresh herbs here. Fresh parsley adds a ton of flavor, freshness, and color. Dried parsley just won't give you the same result.
- Extra virgin olive oil - I really like Graza's Drizzle Olive Oil here because you don't need much, and this one has a sharper flavor. The better quality oil, the better the flavor here, but any olive oil you have will be great!
- Red wine vinegar - I find red wine vinegar works the best here, so I highly recommend it. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores or online. If not, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even unseasoned rice vinegar are great alternatives!
- Sea salt and black pepper - I'm keeping the seasoning really simple here with just sea salt (or Himalayan pink salt) and freshly ground black pepper. This way, all the fresh flavors can really stand out.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different onion - You can make this with practically any onions you have. Red onion, yellow onion, shallots, spring onion, or even scallions are all great! They all just give you slightly different flavors, scallions usually being the mildest.
- Different herbs - While I really like this salad with parsley, other fresh herbs you could use are chives, oregano, basil, or even cilantro if that's more your vibe!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper to a large bowl.
- Whisk the vinaigrette vigorously until emulsified.
- Add the quartered tomatoes, sliced white onion, and chopped fresh parsley to the same bowl.
- Toss gently to coat with the vinaigrette.
- Serve with extra freshly ground black pepper and enjoy!
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Tips & Tricks!
- Don’t drain the excess water - The tomatoes will release a lot of water once you toss them with the vinaigrette, and you might be tempted to serve them without it or to drain it. Don’t do it! That’s where all the flavor is! It’s all the vinaigrette mixed with tomato juices, and it’s my favorite part of the salad and what makes it special.
- Serve it at room temperature - If you have leftovers or you make the salad ahead, take it out of the fridge 10 minutes before you serve it so it's not ice cold. Tomatoes always have a sweeter, more vibrant flavor at room temperature, so I don't recommend storing them in the fridge in general for the same reason.
Serving Suggestions
This tomato salad makes a great side dish to practically any lunch or dinner, and you can bring it to potlucks or picnics.
Serve it with roasted chicken, steak, grilled meat, fish, seafood, or any veggies. It's delicious with sandwiches, rice bowls, risottos, quinoa, and anything else. Try it with this Chili Crisp Salmon, this Pesto Orzo with Lemon Garlic Shrimp, or this Zucchini Risotto! You can also toss any leftovers into another salad!
I like serving it in small bowls rather than salad plates because I can include some of the tomato juices mixed with the vinaigrette as well. You can also serve some crusty bread on the side to soak up all those flavorful tomato juices!
Storing
You can store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The tomatoes will release a lot of water as they sit with the dressing, but I actually think it makes the flavors better! I like it the most the next day, and I include all the water released from the tomatoes when serving it!
FAQs
Yes, this is a very simple side salad, but you can get creative and add other veggies like cucumber, bell peppers, or even lettuce. It would also be delicious with feta or grilled halloumi.
More Easy Side Salads
All four salads linked below are very simple side salads, and they're all just as good as this one! They're perfect for the summer and delicious with anything from the grill, but you can make them any time of the year! To see all the latest ones, head over to Salads!
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Print📖 Recipe
Tomato and Onion Salad
This Tomato and Onion Salad has just 7 ingredients and it's so easy to make! It's such a simple side salad you can have ready on the table in just 10 minutes. It's perfect for the summer but delicious any time of the year. It's vegan and gluten-free as well!
- Total Time10 minutes
- Yield2-4 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (plus more for serving)
- 1 lb vine tomatoes, quartered
- ¾ cup thinly sliced white onion (approx. ½ med. onion)
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper to a large bowl.
- Whisk the vinaigrette vigorously until emulsified.
- Add the quartered tomatoes, sliced white onion, and chopped fresh parsley to the same bowl.
- Toss gently to coat with the vinaigrette.
- Serve with extra freshly ground black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
This salad may seem very onion-heavy, but it works so well with the tomatoes! White onion isn’t as strong in flavor as yellow onion, and once it sits in the vinaigrette for a few minutes, it mellows out a lot.
Storing: Store the salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days. The tomatoes will release a lot of water, but the salad is even more delicious after sitting with the dressing for a while. I recommend letting it rest for 15 minutes before eating after you make it. When serving leftovers, let the salad come to room temperature for 10 minutes first, so it's not too cold.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Czech
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