Best Tomatoes for Salads: How to Choose the Perfect Ones

Selecting the right tomatoes is crucial for a truly outstanding salad. The best tomatoes for salads are always fresh, perfectly ripe, and — this is important — have been kept at room temperature. Refrigeration can dull their flavor and ruin their texture. If you haven’t had the pleasure of planting your own, make it a point to visit a local farmer’s market. Here, you’ll often find varieties bursting with flavor that can’t be matched by supermarket alternatives. Look for local tomatoes at your favorite grocery store as well, especially during peak season.

• Heirloom Tomatoes: These beauties come in an array of stunning colors – shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow – and irregular shapes. They are typically cherished for their lower acidity, meaty texture, and wonderfully sweet, complex flavors, making them absolutely perfect for a show-stopping salad.
• Beefsteak Tomatoes: Large and deeply red, beefsteak tomatoes are renowned for their meaty flesh and abundant juiciness, delivering that rich, quintessential tomato flavor everyone loves. Slice them thick for a satisfying bite.
• Plum Tomatoes: Offering a fantastic balance of sweet and savory notes, plum tomatoes (like Roma or San Marzano varieties) are lower in moisture and have a firm texture, making them ideal for a robust and tasty salad that won’t get watery.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Small, round, and incredibly sweet, cherry tomatoes are a versatile choice. They come in red, orange, and yellow. Sungold cherry tomatoes are a personal favorite – typically deep yellow, slightly firm, and mostly sweet with just a hint of tang, they burst with flavor.
• Grape Tomatoes: Similar to cherry tomatoes but usually oval-shaped, grape tomatoes are sweet and firm, making them super easy to slice in half for salads. They are most commonly found in vibrant red.
• Pear Tomatoes: Quite possibly the unsung heroes of the tomato world! These small, yellow tomatoes are shaped like miniature pears and boast a uniquely sweet and subtly citrusy flavor. They are incredibly delicious and definitely worth seeking out or planting if you have the space.
• Cocktail Tomatoes (also called Campari): Roughly the size of a golf ball, these are hybrids often grown in greenhouses and available year-round. While convenient, their flavor can be less intense than true seasonal varieties. In my humble opinion (IMHO), they are only truly worth buying during the winter months when other options are scarce.

Debra’s Pro Tips for Your Tomato and Onion Salad

Unlock even more potential from this delightful salad with these expert tips:

• Transform Leftovers into Delicious Sauce: Don’t let any leftover salad go to waste! It can be magically transformed into a rich, flavorful sauce. Simply pour the remaining salad into a small saucepan and heat gently over low to medium heat. If you enjoy a chunky sauce, serve it as is. For a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree it directly in the pot. This versatile sauce is fantastic spooned over zucchini noodles, roasted eggplant, spread onto crusty bread slices for a simple appetizer, used as a quick pizza sauce, or even incorporated into my Zucchini Rollatini Recipe.
• Dairy-Free Caprese Salad Inspiration: If you’re seeking a delicious dairy-free alternative to a classic Caprese salad, this fresh tomato salad recipe is your perfect base! Simply prepare the salad as directed, and instead of fresh mozzarella, add generous slices of ripe, creamy avocado. The avocado adds a wonderful richness and texture that beautifully complements the tomatoes and basil.
• Storing Extra Dressing: The homemade creamy balsamic dressing is so good, you’ll want to have extra on hand! Store any remaining dressing in a small, airtight jar in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a week. For longer storage, you can even freeze it for up to three months. This versatile dressing is absolutely fabulous on a simple green salad, as a marinade, or drizzled over roasted vegetables.

Variations to Elevate Your Tomato and Onion Salad

This tomato and onion salad is wonderfully adaptable. Get creative and try these delicious variations:

• Tomato Basil Pasta Salad: The only thing missing from this recipe is the pasta! Cook your favorite pasta variety (such as rotini, farfalle, or penne) according to package directions, then drain and cool slightly. Follow the recipe card for the tomato, onion, and basil mix, then toss everything together with the pasta and an extra drizzle of good quality olive oil for a satisfying meal.
• Super Easy Tomato Basil Salad: For those days when simplicity is key, chop your tomatoes, onions, and basil as directed. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then drizzle on some high-quality balsamic vinegar and just a touch of olive oil. Toss gently and enjoy this minimalist, yet incredibly flavorful, version.
• Corn Avocado and Tomato Salad: Introduce even more summer goodness by adding fresh corn kernels (cut directly off the cob, raw, for a sweet crunch) and creamy, diced avocados. The addition of these ingredients transforms this into a heartier, even more vibrant salad, proving that tomato season just got EVEN BETTER!
• Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad: Add a refreshing crispness to your salad by chopping Persian or English cucumbers into thick diagonal slices. Toss them with the rest of the ingredients for a wonderfully cool, crisp, and crunchy cucumber tomato salad – perfect for a hot day!
• Bruschetta Salad: Take inspiration from classic bruschetta! Lightly toast slices of crusty bread (like a baguette or ciabatta), then rip or cut them into rustic pieces. Toss these toasted bread pieces well with your tomato salad just before serving. The bread will soak up some of the delicious dressing and tomato juices, creating a delightful texture. Finish with an additional sprinkle of fresh basil.

How to Serve and Store Your Fresh Tomato Salad

• Serve: For the absolute best taste and texture, always serve this fresh tomato salad at room temperature. Chilling can dull the vibrant flavors of the tomatoes and basil. Remove it from the fridge about 15-30 minutes before serving if it was stored.
• Store: You can store any leftover fresh tomato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. However, for optimal flavor and texture, it truly tastes best when enjoyed in the first couple of days. The tomatoes will naturally release more juice over time, which can make the salad slightly softer.
• Freeze: Absolutely not! Freezing this salad is highly discouraged. The fresh ingredients, especially the tomatoes and basil, will completely lose their delicate flavor and crisp texture due to ice crystal formation. When thawed, you’ll be left with a tasteless, mushy pile of ingredients that is far from appetizing. Please, don’t do it! Instead, if you find yourself with an abundance of leftovers, refer to my pro tip above on how to effortlessly transform it into a delicious, usable sauce.

• ▢ 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• ▢ ½ small red onion thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh basil thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup Basil Balsamic Dressing

• Prepare the Basil Balsamic Dressing as directed in the notes below or by clicking the link, and set aside.
• If using large tomatoes, chop them into uniform bite-sized pieces. Smaller varieties like cherry, grape, or sungold pear-shaped tomatoes can be simply halved through the core for visual appeal and ease of eating.
• Stack the fresh basil leaves and carefully slice them into thin julienne strips.
• Peel and thinly slice the small red onion. Aim for very fine slices to ensure the onion flavor is well-distributed and not overpowering.
• In a large bowl or on a serving platter, gently combine the chopped tomatoes, sliced basil, and red onion. Pour approximately ¼ cup of the creamy balsamic dressing over the ingredients and toss well until everything is evenly coated. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, black pepper, or dressing as desired to achieve your perfect balance of flavors. Serve immediately at room temperature for the best taste experience.

To make this creamy, flavorful dressing, simply puree the following ingredients with a food processor or an immersion blender until smooth:

½ cup fresh basil leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup water

1 clove fresh garlic

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Medjool date (pitted)

½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

This recipe for Balsamic Dressing will yield approximately 1 cup, of which you’ll need about ¼ cup for this specific tomato salad recipe. For all the detailed instructions and more tips on preparing this fantastic dressing, please refer to the dedicated post: Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette.