Garden fresh tomatoes marinated with red onion, garlic, and fresh basil and parsley. This flavourful Italian tomato salad is a great side dish for any meal, or try them as a burger topper or on sandwiches!
For the last few weeks every time I am at our local farmers market I have picked up a basket of the most amazing beefsteak tomatoes from one of my favourite produce vendors Springh Farms. We've been enjoying them on sandwiches or salads for the most part, but these tomatoes were so fresh and flavourful I wanted to create something that really showcased just how amazing these tomatoes are.
This Italian marinated tomato salad is the perfect way to dress up and show off perfectly ripe beefsteak tomatoes or any other field fresh tomato!
You're going to love this!
- It's an easy make ahead salad that will be loved by all
- It's a great way to eat up all those perfect summer tomatoes
- It's full of fresh healthy flavours and made from mostly pantry ingredients
If you need more inspo for what you can do with fresh, ripe tomatoes check out our pico de gallo!
How to make Italian tomato salad
The first step to making this marinated tomato salad is to be sure that you buy the freshest ingredients that you can find. You want the ripest, reddest tomatoes available for this salad. I like beefsteak tomatoes for this because they are so big and juicy and they look gorgeous on a plate, but you could use any tomato that you like.
Fresh herbs are also a must! Don't substitute for dried - you won't get the garden fresh flavour that makes this salad so great. I used basil and a bit of parsley here, but feel free to experiment with any fresh herbs you may have on hand.
To make the salad simply slice the tomatoes about ⅓ of an inch thick and arrange on a large shallow dish so that when you pour the marinade over the tomato they will be covered in garlic and herbs from the top and also sitting in the marinade from the bottom.
Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, diced onions, chopped basil and parsley, sea salt and crushed garlic to a bowl and whisk together.
Slowly pour the marinade over the tomatoes ensuring that they are all covered well. Spread out the herbs and onions on top of the tomatoes if you need to.
Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow the mariande to penetrate into the tomatoes.
Tips for the Best Italian Tomato Salad
This salad is best with vine ripe tomatoes. Make sure you start with the freshest tomatoes you can find.
This salad is best if consumed within 8 hours of preparing it but will hold up for a day or 2 in the fridge - the tomatoes just might get a little bit soggy.
Switch up the vinegar! I love red wine vinegar in this salad, but it would also be great with white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar if that's what you have on hand.
Dietary Information
This recipe for Italian marinated tomato salad is suitable for the following diets:
- vegan and vegetarian
- clean eating and Whole30
- gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly
- low carb and keto friendly
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Italian Tomato Salad (Marinated Tomato Salad)
Equipment
Ingredients:
- 3 Beefsteak tomatoes - sliced ⅓" thick
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1⁄2 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons minced Red Onion
- 4 large leaves fresh basil - finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon diced fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic - crushed
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes into slices about ⅓ of an inch thick and arrange on a platter with a rim in a single layer.
- Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced red onion, diced basil and parsley, crushed garlic and sea salt to make the marinade.
- Pour the marinade evenly over the tomatoes ensuring that they are all covered in marinade and that the herbs and onion are spread out across the top of the tomatoes.
- Place the platter in the fridge and let sit for at least an hour so that the tomatoes can absorb the marinade.
- Garnish with fresh ground pepper when ready to serve.
Nutrition
* nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.
Andrea Metlika says
I could eat this every day if Tomatoes looked like this year round.
Courtney says
Me too!!!!!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
Those tomatoes look simply gorgeous! What a refreshing summer salad, a great way to make the most of this years harvest!
Courtney says
Thanks Carrie!
Andrea says
I love tomato salad, and yours looks delicious! I could eat this right out of the dish or tucked into a sandwich.
Courtney says
Exactly! We did both 🙂
Lisa Bryan says
Oh yum, I can tastes all those fresh flavors from here! Love the garlic, herbs and red onion. Definitely making these this weekend!
Courtney says
Enjoy!
Sara Welch says
Served this with dinner last night and it has instantly become a family favorite recipe! So easy and delicious too!
Courtney says
I'm so happy to hear you all enjoyed it!
Ann says
Delicious!!!!
Cindie says
Could you add slices of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves just before serving/
Courtney says
100%! You could even marinate the fresh mozzarella along with the tomatoes if you'd like. I would just make more of the dressing to cover the increased volume in the salad. Fresh basil I would hold off until you serve.
Sharon White says
Im giving this recipe five stars on looks alone! The ingredients confirm that it will certainly be delicious! It’s waiting in my frig as we speak to be the star of our dinner tonight! Thank you, Courtney!
Courtney says
You are so welcome! I hope you all enjoyed it 🙂
Marcia says
Do you think this would work with fresh Oregano, Basil and Thyme? These are the fresh herbs I’m growing and have available.
Courtney says
100%! The important part is that the herbs are fresh.
Karen says
This is sooo good. Made it for dinner, and none of it was left. My family requested it again!! It’s that good. Fresh tomatoes from our garden made it even better.
Thanks!!!
Courtney says
You are welcome! I could imagine how amazing the flavour would be with garden fresh tomatoes 🙂
Ben says
Great recipe! I used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and served it with fresh Mozzarella. Awesome!
Julie says
I found your recipe on Pinterest and saved it for an age before I tried it. My family LOVE these tomatoes. The marinade even makes sad winter tomatoes taste great. Wish him had tried it earlier.
Erin says
Really delicious and fresh. definitely a keeper