Easy Tomato and Onion Salad with Vinegar

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This easy tomato and onion salad with vinegar is full of fresh summer flavors like sweet tomatoes, onions, and basil. Everything is tossed with red wine vinegar and olive oil to bring it all together. The perfect light lunch, side dish or salad all summer long!

Toss the tomato and onion salad with vinegar dressing until everything is evenly coated.

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There is something immensely satisfying about summer tomatoes.

They are a million times yummier during the warmer months.

And maybe it’s because my Italian heritage runs deep, but I love eating them all summer long on toast, in pastas, on salads, in salads like this Italian Cucumber Tomato Salad, or just sliced with an ear of corn for lunch.

One of my favorite summer lunches and salads is definitely this tomato and onion salad with vinegar.

It’s sweet, a little tangy from the vinegar, and tastes like summer sunshine.

The tomato salad is light enough for even the hottest days but so satisfying- especially when you serve it with a piece of good bread or two to dip in all the dressing.

Yum!

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

Ingredients for tomato and onion salad: tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper

To make this you’ll need:

Tomatoes– Use a sweet flavorful variety of tomatoes like roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or real any vine ripened summer tomatoes cut into small pieces. You could also substitute halved cherry or grape tomatoes if you prefer.
Onion– Use a sweeter milder onion like red onion or a candy onion. Slice it thinly.
Basil– Chopped into ribbons or pieces.
Olive oil– Don’t substitute another kind of oil. You want the mild fruitiness from the olive oil.
Vinegar– Red wine vinegar
Garlic– Fresh garlic cloves are optional but highly recommended.
Salt and pepper– To taste

Kitchen tools you’ll need include:

How to Make Tomato and Onion Salad

1. Cut the tomatoes and onions.

Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces.

If you are using a tomato with a thicker white core, remove the core. Then cut the tomatoes into small pieces.

Thinly slice the onion.

Chop the basil.

2. Make the dressing.

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and basil together to make dressing for the tomato onion salad.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and basil until combined.

3. Put it all together.

Toss the diced tomatoes and sliced onions together.

Toss the tomatoes and sliced onions together in a large bowl.

Pour the dressing over the salad with tomatoes and onions.

Pour the dressing over the tomato and onion salad.

Toss the tomato salad to combine everything.

Serve and enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Tomato and onion salad with vinegar is a refreshing light lunch or delicious side dish or starter for any meal. — Tomato and Onion Salad with Vinegar

Sadly, this tomato and onion salad won’t save for very long.

It will last about 2 days in an air tight container in the fridge tops.

Keep in mind the longer you refrigerate it, the more liquidy the salad will get since the vinegar will break down the tomatoes.

What to Serve with Tomato and Onion Salad

If you are having this for lunch, I find it’s enough on it’s own especially if you serve it with a piece of good bread or a roll.

If you are looking to serve it as a salad for dinner, you have options.

Tomato onion salad is a delicious choice for any cookout, barbecue, or summer picnic and would pair well with classic entrees like:

It’s also a natural to serve with Italian dishes that don’t have spaghetti sauce like:

FAQs

Is tomato onion salad good for you?

Tomatoes and onions both have lots of good for you things in them. Tomatoes have lycopene which is an antioxidant that can help prevent health conditions like cancer. That said, if you are wondering if this particular salad is good for you or a particular diet, it’s always best to check with a medical professional.

What are the best kinds of tomatoes for salads?

I like firmer tomatoes for salads. This tomato onion salad with vinegar has dressing on it so it’s already sort of liquidy. If you use a softer tomatoes it will give off more liquid. But you really can’t go wrong with any fresh ripe summer tomato.

Tips and Tricks

Want to make this heartier? Add a can of drained rinsed chickpeas.
You could also add your favorite cheese. Because it tastes sort of Italiany, I think mozzarella goes nicely with it.
Have other garden herbs on hand? Toss em on in! This is delicious with fresh parsley or chopped chives in it!
Listen, you’re really missing out if you don’t serve a good hunk of bread with this salad. The dressing with the tomato flavor is so good that you need to enjoy each and every last drop of it. There’s no better way than dipping in a hunk of bread.

Other Easy Salad Recipes

Looking for other easy salad recipes? Try these:

Did you make this? Let me know!

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