Recipe for Tomato Salad

Fresh, ripe tomatoes are in season and overflowing at farmers’ markets and in home gardens, which means it’s time to make my scrumptious and easy recipe for Tomato Salad! While there are numerous recipes in cookbooks and online featuring fresh tomatoes, what sets this tomato salad recipe apart from the rest is my mom’s Cumin Dressing. The warm, earthy flavors in this delectable sauce provide a perfect contrast to – and amp up the flavor of – sweet, seasonably fresh tomatoes.

this Recipe

Table of Contents

1. Background on This Tomato Salad Recipe
2. Which Tomato is Best for This Salad?
3. How to Prepare Tomatoes for This Salad
4. How Long Will Tomato Salad Keep?
5. Can I Add Other Ingredients?
6. Other Easy Fresh Tomato Recipes to Try!
7. Recipe for Tomato Salad

There’s nothing like biting into a vibrant, cool, juicy tomato on a warm summer day. I love tomatoes, but they can be bland when not in season. In most of the U.S., tomatoes are at their most flavorful from July through September. So, that’s the time when I love to prepare recipes with fresh, sweet tomatoes as the star. While I have my favorite go-to, summer tomato recipes (see list later in this post!), I thought it was time to create something new and different.

Background on This Tomato Salad Recipe

When mulling over what to put in my new tomato dish, I came across a delicious-sounding recipe for Cumin Dressing in my mom’s recipe box. Cumin has a warm, earthy flavor and therefore is often paired with tomatoes (in lots of Mexican dishes, chilis, plus more). So, why not put these two ingredients together in a salad? It turned out to be a perfect pairing! I added in sliced red onion and Kalamata olives for a bit of tang and texture, and topped it off with chopped parsley for more color. Easy and delicious!

Which Tomato is Best for This Salad?

Any fresh, in season tomato will work in this salad, preferably garden fresh or from a local farmer’s market. Ripe, but not too ripe – so they aren’t overly juicy and fall apart. You can even mix different types (beefsteak, grape, cherry) and colors of tomatoes together, for more depth and interest! If you’re purchasing tomatoes in a grocery store, I’m partial to ones on the vine.

How to Prepare Tomatoes for This Salad

One approach is to slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds and arrange them, overlapping, around a plate or platter and top them with the other ingredients. However, that approach will require eating with a knife and fork. If you’re serving this at a picnic, or more casually where people will just have forks (or can’t easily cut their food), then I would slice into thicker (1/2-inch) pieces and cut the slices into triangular pieces (like in my photos). Still looks pretty on the plate, and is easier to eat!

How Long Will Tomato Salad Keep?

I like to serve this salad the same day it’s made. Leftovers will last 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Can I Add Other Ingredients?

Yes, definitely! I have made this salad with feta cheese, quartered artichoke hearts, and chopped bacon. Use cilantro instead of parsley if you are a cilantro fan!

Other Easy Fresh Tomato Recipes to Try!

• Tomato Peach Salad with Lime Dressing
• Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Yogurt-Herb Dressing
• Tomato and Prosciutto Salad
• Southern Tomato Pie
• Baked Eggs in Tomatoes with Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
• Grilled Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Salad
• Mushroom, Spinach, Tomato and Zucchini Pie
• Tomatoes Stuffed with Artichoke Hearts, Onions and Bacon
• Sea Bass with Tomatoes in a Lemon-Butter Sauce

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