26 Fresh Tomato Salads You'll Want to Make This Summer
Tomato salads are a refreshing summer side or main dish. These juicy recipes take advantage of the season's bounty of cherry, heirloom and plum tomatoes for supremely flavorful salads. Recipes like our Easy Tomato & Balsamic Pasta Salad and Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing are healthy, fresh and bursting with summertime flavor.
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Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Seek out several varieties of heirloom tomatoes for this simple salad. Sweeter and juicier than conventional tomatoes, they add the perfect pop of color.
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Creamy Cucumber, Radish & Tomato Chopped Salad
A mix of cool, crunchy vegetables gives this healthy salad satisfying bite for a perfect potluck side.
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Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
The basil dressing packs a punch in this caprese salad with cherry tomatoes. Dark balsamic vinegar is traditional, but to make the color pop, white balsamic vinegar can be used in its place.
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Easy Tomato & Balsamic Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad is packed with fresh flavor from tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. It takes just 10 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving. Make a batch to have for lunch this week, serve it alongside a healthy protein source for dinner or bring it to your next potluck.
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Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
This Greek-inspired tomato salad is packed with fresh veggies and flavor-boosting ingredients, like balsamic vinegar, Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. This delicious salad takes just 15 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving.
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Basic Tomato & Balsamic Salad
It doesn't take much to create a delicious tomato salad. Here we pair juicy grape tomatoes with sliced onion, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar for a flavorful side dish. Once you've mastered this basic tomato salad recipe, you can try adding in extra ingredients to amp up the flavor even more. Think olives, feta cheese, beans or other herbs. While you can certainly eat this tasty salad right away, the flavor gets even more delicious if you let it sit in the fridge overnight.
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Chicken, Pepper & Tomato Balsamic Salad
Classic tomato-balsamic salad gets an upgrade with the addition of satisfying chicken and crunchy bell peppers. This fresh salad is full of flavor—and veggies—and makes for a satisfying lunch or dinner. This delicious salad takes just 15 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving.
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Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad
This marinated salad is such a healthy way to enjoy those fresh summer veggies and can be easily customized. Try adding in some fresh herbs or feta cheese for a little added flavor. You can also swap in seasoned pepper, which is amped up with additional seasonings, in place of the plain ground pepper for an additional flavor boost. This recipe is part of our Juneteenth Family Cookout Menu.
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Chickpea & Tomato Balsamic Salad
This easy tomato salad recipe gets a satisfying upgrade from chickpeas, which deliver both protein and fiber. The chickpeas quickly turn this simple side into a healthy lunch or dinner, perfect any time of the year. This delicious salad takes just 10 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving.
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Easy Tomato & Balsamic Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad is packed with fresh flavor from tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. It takes just 10 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving. Make a batch to have for lunch this week, serve it alongside a healthy protein source for dinner or bring it to your next potluck.
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Avocado Caprese Salad
This avocado caprese salad has all the flavors of a classic caprese salad with the addition of creamy avocado. The sweet and tangy balsamic dressing pulls everything together, with fresh basil adding a refreshing pop of color. Add capers for an even bigger flavor.
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Tomato, Peach & Feta Salad
This juicy salad is the perfect snack in the height of summer when tomatoes and peaches are at their best.
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Quinoa-Herb Tomato & Balsamic Salad
In this easy tomato salad recipe, we add a healthy kick of protein and fiber in the form of quinoa. This whole grain helps make this veggie-packed salad more satisfying, which makes it the perfect thing to pack up for lunch or serve as a dinner side. This delicious salad takes just 10 minutes to make and while you could eat it right away, it tastes even better the longer it sits, so plan to leave at least an hour of marinating time before serving.
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Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad
In this easy cherry tomato salad, the fresh herbs and bright dressing highlight the natural sweetness of the summery tomatoes. Elevate the look of this easy salad by using multicolored tomatoes if you can find them.
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Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad
This healthy summer salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavors and takes just 10 minutes to prepare. Serve it alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish or as part of a vegetarian spread. If you can't find Campari tomatoes or Persian cucumbers, feel free to swap them for whatever variety looks the best at your farmers' market.
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Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Preserved Lemon
In this cucumber and tomato salad recipe, preserved lemon adds a tangy, salty bite. Serve this healthy salad as an accompaniment to dishes like grilled lamb or chicken or as a side on a bed of finely julienned purple kale, lightly dressed with more olive oil and lemon juice. Look for preserved lemons at specialty-foods stores.Â
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Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salad
This vibrant and healthy summer salad is perfect for BBQs and backyard parties. The dressing is whisked together right in the salad bowl before you add the vegetables, so it's also incredibly easy to make. Choose a fairly firm avocado so it holds its shape in the salad.
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Chopped Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Lemon
It doesn't get easier than a cucumber and tomato summer salad! Fresh cucumber and juicy ripe tomatoes are all you need to really make this salad shine. Marinating cucumbers and tomatoes in vinegar with a touch of lemon zest infuses the dish with tangy citrus flavor.
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Egyptian Tossed Salad
This crisp blend of vegetables is offered as a topping or side at Zooba, the Egyptian street food restaurant in New York City. We made it a stand-alone salad to stuff into pita with taameya (Egyptian falafel—see Associated Recipes) or serve with just about anything else. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)
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Hasselback Tomato Caprese Salad
Use the hasselback technique to upgrade plain caprese salad with this fun twist! Cutting partially into the whole tomato creates openings to layer in fresh mozzarella cheese, basil and a balsamic drizzle for tons of flavor in this unique vegetable side dish recipe.
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Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata
For a gorgeous take on a classic caprese, make this healthy salad recipe with heirloom tomatoes in various colors, shapes and sizes. Swapping regular mozzarella for creamy burrata makes this summer salad even more special—but it's still incredibly easy to make.
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Tomato, Watermelon & Avocado Salad
Enjoy this refreshing healthy salad recipe as a side dish or dice the tomatoes, watermelon and avocado smaller (1/2- to 1/4-inch pieces) and serve as a condiment for grilled fish, shrimp or chicken.
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American Flag Caprese Salad with Blueberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette
This caprese salad with a patriotic twist marries the flavors of cherry tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella with fruity blueberries. A sweet and tangy blueberry dressing served on the side helps pull it all together on the plate. Garnish with fresh basil leaves to round out the summery flavors.
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Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato, Tuna & Pea Pasta Salad
Serve this healthy pasta salad at your next barbecue or backyard get-together. A garlicky buttermilk dressing adds creaminess, while sun-dried tomatoes provide a nice chewiness. Look for sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil.
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Quinoa Avocado Salad
Protein-packed quinoa pairs with creamy avocado in this refreshing grain salad. It's the perfect make-ahead side dish to bring on a picnic or take to a potluck. Or pack it for lunch or enjoy it as a light dinner.
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Traditional Greek Salad
Called horiatiki, this lettuce-free salad made up of tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, olives and feta is one of the most popular Greek dishes. It is traditionally served with bread, not pita.