My childhood summers were spent on my grandparent’s farm. They were old-school folks who believed in gardening. And not just on a small scale. We’re talking five acres filled with every type of fruit and vegetable that would grow in the South. I spent my days hiding out in the surrounding woods-usually without success-to avoid working in the hotter than blazed Alabama sun. I swore never to plant my own vegetable garden. Yet, here I am with my own much smaller garden. This year we’re growing tomatoes. Hopefully, lots of tomatoes. This Easy Fresh Tomato Salad recipe makes good use of them.
Easy Tomato Salad Recipe
Not only is this recipe gluten-free and allergy-free, but it’s also super simple to prepare. You can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes, not counting tomato picking time.
Types of Tomatoes To Use:
We grow several different types of tomatoes in our garden; Better Boy, Early Girl, Beefsteak, Roma, and heirloom Black Cherry. I’ve tried this recipe with all types of these tomatoes and it’s good with any of them, but I prefer using the smaller heirloom cherry tomatoes. If you’re interested in growing your own, here’s a quick primer.
- Better Boy- Fruit can be harvested around 70 days after planting. These disease resistance plants have good flavor and a high yield. Tomatoes can grow up to 10 ounces in size.
- Early Girl– A red tomato with a heavy yield. Fruit can be harvested around 57 days after planting and grow 4 to 6 ounces in size.
- Beefsteak– A red tomato that can grow up to 2 pounds each. These flavorful tomatoes can be harvested around 75 days after planting.
- Roma– These can be harvested around 75 days after planting. A smaller tomato, these are good for sauces and cooking.
- Heirloom Black Cherry– These are a quick-growing variety that produces 1-inch round purple tomatoes. If you are interested in growing your own, we purchased our seeds from the Burpee website.
What You Need to Make the Salad:
- tomatoes (preferably cherry)
- onion
- cucumber
- salt
- pepper
- cooked bacon
- oil
- vinegar
Step-by-Step Directions:
1. Chop or dice the tomatoes and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Toss them into a large bowl.
2. Add diced yellow onion (a good choice because it has a mild flavor), diced cucumber, and the crumbled bacon.
3. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Easy-Peasy.
Tomato Tips
- If you’re using large tomatoes, chop them into 1/2 inch pieces. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, just chop them in half.
- Allow the tomatoes to sit on a paper towel for 5 minutes or so before using. Then, pat the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper after they’ve been patted.
- To prevent tomatoes from becoming “mushy,” don’t store them in the refrigerator before using them. Spread them out on a countertop or table, making sure they aren’t touching each other, and keep them out of direct sunlight.
Customize It
Want to give the salad a touch of your personality? Add in your favorite ingredients. Here are some good choices:
*sliced fresh mozzarella
*cubed ham (leave out the bacon or add them both, we won’t tell)
*cubed salami
*minced fresh basil
*diced avocado (sprinkle the avocado with lemon juice first to prevent browning)
Easy Fresh Tomato Salad
4
servings30
minutesA simple fresh tomato salad that’s perfect for summer.
Ingredients
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped cucumber
3/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
Directions
- Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, add tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and bacon.
- Pour olive oil and vinegar over tomato mixture. Toss to coat.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
You can make this salad vegetarian or vegan by leaving out the bacon. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do. What is your favorite summer tomato dish?
Want more Southern deliciousness? Try these Recipes:
Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
Bacon and Tomato Pie
Fried Green Tomatoes
Have you seen our cookbooks?
If you’d like an awesome recipe for fried green tomatoes, check out The Southern Air Fryer Cookbook. It has 75 easy Southern recipes you can make; most of them in around a half-hour. You can find a copy on Amazon.
We’re also the authors of The New Southern Cookbook and the Gluten-Free Meal Prep Cookbook.
Sounds gorgeous and easy to make! Thanks for the recipie! 😀
Love to try this fresh tomato salad. I would need to try it tomato salad is my favorite.
That salad actually looks really good. Nice and ripe tomatoes are really delicious.
I love having fresh veggies in the summer season. This sounds like a great use of summer veggies!
This tomato salad sounds and looks so delicious. I love that it’s easy to make too!
Cherry tomato and cucumber are two of my favorites. I’d love to make this. Looks delicious!
Oh, definitely it looks so good. This is interesting to try, I will keep this tomato salad recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I never say no to a good salad during the summer! This one sounds so good!
I love tomatoes a lot, actually have this in every meal and it is so nice to know the different way to eat it. I will def this on my menu list.
Not gonna lie, I’ve never even considered having a tomato salad, but its on my radar now!!
I do enjoy eating tomatoes and salads. I’ve not had this mix before. Sounds like a tasty recipe.
There is nothing better than a fresh, ripe tomato. I love the addition of bacon. Can’t wait to make.
This recipe would be perfect to make with the tomatoes from my garden. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
I have to admit I love all things tomato especilly in summer with the freshest ones. I will use these ideas in a salad of tomatoes of my own.
I’ve never tried anything like this but it looks really good!
Oh yum, I love tomatoes, so I’m excited to try this out. It looks so delicious!