Tomato Salad Recipes

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Crouton Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup croutons, plain or flavored
• 1 cup mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 8 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine the first four ingredients in a serving bowl. Whisk the last four ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle over the salad, toss, and serve.

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Italian Tomato Salad

Plain croutons are fine but I especially love the added flavor of using Pepperidge Farm Zesty Italian Croutons for this salad :-)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 medium vine ripened tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. capers, drained
• 1 cup croutons, or more to taste

Directions:

Whisk oil and vinegar in a large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, basil and capers, toss well to coat, add croutons, toss again and serve.

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Garlic Tomato Salad

This is one of those simple, quick to prepare salads that you flavor to personal taste. it's also a good way to use up extra tomatoes. The standard ratio for the vinegar and oil is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.

Ingredients:

• 4 large tomatoes, sliced and halved
• minced garlic
• salt and pepper
• red wine vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place tomatoes in a bowl, add garlic, salt, and pepper and toss. Drizzle with vinegar and oil, toss again, cover and set aside for about a half hour to allow the flavors to blend.

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Avocado Tomato Salad

I love the lemon kick of this simple salad! The easiest way to prepare the avocados is to cut in half lengthwise, remove the pit with a knife, scoop the flesh out of the skin with a spoon. and slice.

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, pitted and sliced
• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Place avocados and tomatoes on serving plate(s).

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the avocados and tomatoes, season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.

By Deeli from Richland, WA

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup safflower oil
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 tsp. chopped parsley
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Directions:

Layer tomatoes and cheese in shallow dish. In small jar, with tight-fitting lid, place oil, vinegar, parsley, onion, basil, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Pour over tomatoes and cheese. Cover and refrigerate several hours, occasionally spooning dressing over tomato salad. Makes 4 servings.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Bumper Crop Tomato Salad

This recipe is from my friend, Shirley Nebel. She and her husband invited my husband and I to their home this summer and she served this with the meal. One of the best salads I have ever eaten!

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe med. tomatoes (1 inch pieces)
• 1 large green pepper
• 1/2 Vidalia onion
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. salad oil
• 6 slices bacon, fried

Directions:

Chop tomatoes, green pepper and onion. Fry bacon crisp. Mix together water, sugar, vinegar and salad oil and pour over veggies. Chill 1-4 hours. Add bacon just before serving.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Perky Parsley Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 8 medium tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp. tarragon or cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each tomato so it sits flat. Cut each tomato into 1/2 inch horizontal slices. Reassemble tomatoes, stacking slices on top of each other. Place the stacks in a 9x13 inch dish. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 5 medium tomatoes
• endive
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. salad oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients. Add vinegar and oil. Blend. Add minced parsley and green onions, sliced. Pour over quartered tomatoes which have been arranged over a bed of endive.

By Robin from Washington, IA

$10 Dinners - Basil Tomato Salad with Grilled Chicken

These meals are intended to be a relatively simple and healthy weeknight meal for a family of four. We assume that these dinners are being made in a kitchen stocked with regular kitchen staples. We will not include prices of oil, sugar, flour, spices, etc. unless you need a 1/4 cup or more. Regional food prices may vary and can be reduced by smart shopping techniques.

This $10 dinner was inspired and purchased at a local farmer's market. Seasonal vegetables tend to be much cheaper directly from the source. A total of about $5.00 was spent on the veggies for this salad.

Shopping List

3 large tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
1/2 bunch green onions
2 cucumbers
Veggies = $5
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts	$2.69
Balsamic Vinagrette Salad Dressing	$2.00
Total Cost = $9.69

Staples

• Olive or Canola Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

Thoroughly wash all vegetables and let dry. Peel cucumber, if desired. Add veggies in the following order: Slice into thin circles or chop cucumber. Slice or chop your tomatoes. I would half the tomato before slicing. If your tomato is very juicy and full of seeds, seed it first. The tomatoes from the farmer's market were very dense and red.

Chop green onions, using all the white and most of the green parts. Basil should be cut into small ribbons. The best way to do this is to stack the leaves together, roll them up (like a cigar) and slice across the roll. I usually do a couple of passes lengthwise to avoid very long pieces. Add a small amount of salad dressing to coat all the vegetables and mix well. Place in refrigerator until serving time. This should be allowed to set for at least 20 minutes so the flavors can meld. You could make this the night before, if necessary.

Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over medium heat. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts on both sides. Grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes and coarsely chop. You could also grill this on a barbecue or broil it in the oven. Place chicken on top of salad, either in main bowl or individual servings. This salad can get a bit juicy so I use a slotted spoon to serve in into individual bowls, leaving the juice. It is also easier to make sure everyone gets equal servings of chicken that way.

Tips:

• This salad is perfect for hot summer evenings, when no one wants to cook or eat. It would also be good as a potluck salad as the flavors will continue to improve.
• You can substitute the balsalmic vinaigrette with an Italian dressing or simply dress it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and, maybe, some garlic cloves, crushed or pressed.
• Prepackaged chicken, leftover or rotisserie chicken would also be fine for this salad.
• Mozzarela (especially fresh) would be wonderful with the tomatoes and basil. You could also use an Italian blend or Parmesan.
• Any seasonal vegetables could be added if desired but will dilute the tomato/basil flavors.
• Lettuce or spinach could stretch this meal, or make it a more traditional salad.
• Croutons, or fresh bread cubes added to this would soak up the juices and make a "bread" salad, which would be much more filling.

Tomato Salad

This is one of my favorites! Love the tartness to this recipe!

Ingredients:

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seed

Directions:

Peel tomatoes and cut into small chunks. Add onion and green pepper. Heat remaining ingredients to dissolve sugar. Cool and pour over vegetables. Chill overnight in refrigerator.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Herbed Cherry Tomatoes

These herbed tomatoes are great alone or added to a salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh basil
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar or sweetener
• lettuce leaves, optional

Directions:

Place tomatoes in a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, combine oil and vinegar. Add fresh herbs, salt and sugar; mix well. Pour over the tomatoes. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Drain and serve on platter of lettuce leaves, if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

By Terri

Tomato Salad

Very good salad! Kind of has a tangy, yet sweet taste.

Ingredients:

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seed

Directions:

Peel tomatoes and cut into small chunks. Add onion and green pepper. Heat remaining ingredients to dissolve sugar. Cool and pour over vegetables. Chill overnight in refrigerator. Serves 6-8 people. Keeps well in the refrigerator for days.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Tomato Spoon Salad

I love these veggies and the dressing on this salad is extremely tangy and good!

Approximate Time: 15-20 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

• 32 oz can diced tomatoes ($.89)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 small green pepper ($.50)
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped fine ($.50)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard seed

Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients in order given.
2. Chill overnight
3. Stir before serving.

By Robin