• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Genetic Chef

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • SHOP
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Amazon
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • SHOP
    • Amazon
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Salads

    INCREDIBLY SIMPLE FRESH GARDEN TOMATO SALAD

    Published: Sep 5, 2023 by Natalie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    RECIPE PRINT PIN

    Tomato Salad made with in-season tomatoes only because garden fresh is the only way to go. Simple yet incredibly delicious - especially with fresh crusty bread or tossed with toasted croutons.

    A platter of fresh tomato salad.

    I have to reiterate that this tomato salad should only be made with in-season tomatoes. Although I try to use plum tomatoes because they have less seeds and that's what my family uses, any garden fresh tomato - cherry reds, yellow, or orange, Roma, beefsteak, or a combination of whatever you have will do just fine.

    Don’t have a garden tomatoes? Hit up your local farmer’s market. You’ll get great tomatoes there and also a bunch of other goodies you can use.

    Get to know the vendors and strike up conversations on suggestions for how to use whatever you’re buying. I love going and I seem to learn something new every time I go.

    Garden tomatoes in a bowl.

    You may wonder why on earth I’m posting a recipe for such a simple dish. Well, it's because I’m frequently asked how I make it.

    Just because I grew up with this salad doesn’t mean everyone else has. So here it is folks. I’ll post guidelines for amounts, but they’re only guidelines. You can’t screw this up.

    Chopped garlic and basil on top of chopped tomatoes.

    You’ll need fresh chopped tomatoes along with a few cloves of garlic. If you love garlic like we do, you’ll use at least two cloves for every pound of tomatoes.

    Toss in a few torn basil leaves and a few glugs of good extra virgin olive oil. Use the best you have since the olive oil is the sauce of this delicious tomato salad.

    YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY...

    • Peruvian cucumber salad topped with feta and avocado.
      SIMPLE PERUVIAN CUCUMBER SALAD WITH LIME
    • Greek salad on a white plate with dressing in a bowl and a slice of pita.
      AUTHENTIC GREEK SALAD - NO LETTUCE
    • A plate of smashed parsley potato salad.
      SIMPLE SMASHED PARSLEY POTATO SALAD

    Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and toss it all together. Now, let it sit for a few so the flavors can have a chance to mingle.

    Again, use really good extra virgin olive oil here. When the olive oil is the sauce, you want only the best. This is true when making uncooked sauces like my Peruvian pesto, Italian pesto, or spinach pesto. It’s also true when making dressings like my orange, lemon, or balsamic vinaigrettes.

    Tomato salad with toasted croutons on one side.

    TRY THESE DELICIOUS SALADS:

    • Spinach watermelon feta salad with lime vinaigrette
    • Sweet and tangy cucumber salad
    • Mexican street corn salad
    • Sonoma chicken salad
    • Peruvian oil and vinegar potato salad
    • Macaroni salad
    • Spinach and cheese pasta salad
    • Grilled peach and blue cheese salad

    This salad also makes a great topping for fish, steaks, chops, or chicken. It's awesome on top of a burger too.

    A platter of fresh tomato salad.

    Life is too short for mediocre food.

    HAVE YOU SEEN THESE?

    • A bowl of split pea soup with bacon and a fried egg on top.
      PERUVIAN SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH BACON AND EGG
    • A roasted chicken wing covered in teriyaki sauce.
      NO MARINATING TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS
    • Corn muffins on a cooling rack.
      THE BEST BAKERY STYLE CORN MUFFINS
    • A serving of apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
      SIMPLE OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CRISP

    CHECK OUT MY SHOP FOR PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND

    PIN THIS RECIPE FOR TOMATO SALAD TO SAVE FOR LATER.

    FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES!


    A round platter of tomato salad surrounded with croutons.

    FRESH GARDEN TOMATO SALAD

    PRINT PIN SAVESaved!
    Tomato Salad made with in-season tomatoes only because garden fresh is the only way to go. Simple yet incredibly delicious - especially with fresh crusty bread or tossed with toasted croutons.
    These amounts are simply guidelines. Recipe can be adjusted to your desired serving - halved, doubled, etc.
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Natalie Gregory

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds garden tomatoes preferably heirloom, chopped - See NOTES
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil approx.
    • 2 - 4 garlic cloves finely minced
    • A few fresh basil leaves torn or julienned
    • kosher or sea salt
    • Pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place all of the tomato salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss together. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Taste and adjust salt as needed. This salad needs salt for it to taste good. Serve with fresh bread to soak up all the juices or toasted croutons for added crunch.

    Notes

    I use fresh garden plum tomatoes if I have them but any tomato will do. As long as it's fresh it will be delicious.
    Suggestions for serving:
    Serve as is - it’s that delicious. It’s like a chunky soup because as it sits, the salt draws out the juices from the tomatoes. Either soak up those juices with some good bread or drink it. It’s good for you.
    Toasted Croutons:
    14 - 16 ounce loaf of crusty bread - I buy day old ciabatta but you can buy what you like
    ¼ cup olive oil
    Preheat oven 350. Slice bread into 1 inch cubes and place in a big bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until it’s all coated. Transfer onto baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, toss, and continue to bake until golden brown. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble salad. These are good for any salad.
    Crusty Bread:
    Break off pieces of crusty bread and pile on the tomatoes. The juices get soaked up by the bread. So good.
    Other:
    Serve it on top of seafood, steak, pork chops, or chicken breasts.
    Did you make this recipe? Tag @thegeneticchef and use #thegeneticchef and tell me all about it!

    MORE DELICIOUS SALADS

    • A white plate of Greek salad.
      AUTHENTIC GREEK SALAD - NO LETTUCE
    • A dish of Peruvian potato salad garnished with parsley.
      A SIMPLE PERUVIAN OIL AND VINEGAR POTATO SALAD
    • A bowl of cucumber salad in a white bowl.
      SWEET AND TANGY CUCUMBER SALAD
    • A plate of parsley potato salad.
      SIMPLE SMASHED PARSLEY POTATO SALAD

    See More Salads →

    More Salads

    • Peruvian cucumber salad topped with feta and avocado.
      SIMPLE PERUVIAN CUCUMBER SALAD WITH LIME
    • A white platter with kale and chickpeas tossed with tahini dressing.
      KALE SALAD WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS
    • A scoop of Sonoma Chicken Salad on a bed of greens.
      Sweet Savory Sonoma Chicken Salad
    • Mayo-Free Mexican street corn salad in a white bowl.
      Easy Mayo-Free Mexican Street Corn Salad

    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Natalie

    I'm Natalie a.k.a The Genetic Chef. Here you will find from scratch family recipes coupled with humor, helpful tips, and product recommendations.

    More about me →

    Categories

    AMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE

    The Genetic Chef is an Amazon affiliate. If you click through to Amazon from my website, I get a small commission at no cost to you which helps me keep this site going. Thank you for your support!

    Visit My Shop!

    Product Recommendations

    Vitamix 5200 Blender

    Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

    KitchenAid Stand Mixer

    Breville Smart Oven Pro

    Le Creuset 7-¼-Quart (Dutch) Oven

    Duralex Stackable 9-Piece Bowl Set

    Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Skillet

    Nordic Ware Baker's Half Sheet

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy Policy

    Subscribe

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 TheGeneticChef

    Foodie Pro Theme