Tomato Salad

This Tomato Salad recipe is easy to make with a delicious homemade dressing, fresh mozzarella, basil, and red onions. It's so fresh and flavorful, a great way to make use of fresh garden tomatoes!

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Salad

5 cups cherry tomatoes halved
8 oz. mozzarella pearls
½ cup red onions thinly sliced
10-15 fresh basil leaves chiffonade
balsamic glaze optional

Dressing

3 tablespoons avocado oil can sub extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced
¼ teaspoon EACH: salt, pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small (8 oz.) container with a lid and shake to combine. Refrigerate.
Slice the tomatoes into halves or thirds and place them middle-size-down to remove excess moisture if desired. Slice the onions and chiffonade the basil.
Transfer to a large bowl and pour the dressing on top. Use a silicone spatula to gently toss until well-combined. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle the top or perimeter of the serving bowl with balsamic glaze if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Tomatoes: If purchasing store-bought (vs. garden fresh tomatoes), aim for red cherry tomatoes that are still on the vine for the best fresh flavor.
Mozzarella: If you can't get your hands on mozzarella pearls, feel free to dice up a ball of fresh mozzarella!
To Chiffonade Basil: Stack the basil leaves and roll them tightly (handle gently as they bruise easily). Use a sharp knife to slice the basil into thin ribbons.
Drizzling Balsamic Glaze on top or around the edges of the serving bowl adds nice flavor and flair, I use Filippo Berio Glaze.
Optional Additions Include: Cucumbers, avocados, olives, bell peppers, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, walnuts, prosciutto, and pancetta!
To make this ahead of time, prepare the dressing and slice the onions. Store in separate airtight containers for 1-2 days. Slice the tomatoes and chiffonade the basil just before serving. Combine everything when ready to serve!
The Parmesan cheese is optional, but adds a hint of umami.
Salt: I use Redmond Real Salt for this recipe, it really elevates the flavor. (Enter code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!)
Have more cherry tomatoes to use up?! Try my (ONE POT!) Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe next!

Storage:

Note that this salad is best if served fresh. Toss with dressing only when ready to serve. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1-2 days.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 6 servings.

Nutrition

Recipe Source: TheCozyCook.com - For pro tips, step-by-step photos, storage information, and to save it to your account, visit https://framework-keystone.live/tomato-salad/%3C/strong%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cscript%3Ewindow.wprm_recipes = {"recipe-65172":{"type":"food","name":"Tomato Salad","slug":"wprm-tomato-salad","image_url":"https:\/\/thecozycook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Tomato-Salad-F.jpg","rating":{"count":2,"total":10,"average":5,"type":{"comment":2,"no_comment":0,"user":0},"user":0},"ingredients":[{"uid":1,"amount":"5","unit":"cups","name":"cherry 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