Why You’ll Love This Tomato and Herb Salad

• It’s incredibly fresh and vibrant. This salad is a celebration of raw, unadulterated ingredients. Each bite bursts with the natural sweetness of tomatoes and the aromatic punch of fresh herbs.
• It comes together in under 15 minutes. Seriously, there’s no cooking involved. It’s the perfect last-minute side dish for a busy weeknight or a lifesaver when guests show up unexpectedly.
• It’s endlessly adaptable. Don’t have basil? Use mint. Have some ripe peaches? Toss them in! This recipe is a fantastic template that you can make your own with whatever looks best at the market.
• The flavours only get better. While it’s delicious immediately, letting it sit for 15-20 minutes allows the tomatoes to marinate in the dressing, creating an even more incredible, juicy sauce at the bottom of the bowl.

Ingredients & Tools

• 1 kg mixed ripe tomatoes (a combination of heirloom, cherry, and Roma is lovely)
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 small handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small shallot, very finely sliced
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil (the best you have)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• Sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Tools: A sharp chef’s knife, a large mixing bowl, a small jar or bowl for the dressing.

The real secret here is the tomatoes—please, seek out the ripest, most fragrant ones you can find. They are the undisputed star. And that good olive oil? It’s not just for show; its fruity, peppery notes are a crucial part of the dressing, so it’s worth using a bottle you really love the taste of.

Serves: 4 as a side | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Tomato Temperature Matters. For the most flavourful salad, take your tomatoes out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to make this. Cold temperatures dull their taste and aroma dramatically.
• How to Slice the Shallot. You’ll want to slice the shallot paper-thin. If you have a mandoline, this is a great time to use it (carefully, please!). If not, just use a very sharp knife and take your time. Thin slices will mellow out in the dressing rather than overpower the salad.
• Herb Handling 101. Be gentle with your herbs! Instead of chopping them aggressively, try stacking the leaves and tearing them with your hands or giving them a rough chiffonade. This helps prevent bruising and keeps their essential oils—and their fantastic flavour—intact.
• The Salt Timing. You might be tempted to salt the tomatoes way in advance, but hold off until you’re ready to serve if you want to avoid a watery bowl. We’ll salt them just before dressing for the perfect texture.

How to Make Tomato and Herb Salad

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• Grilled Halloumi or Chicken — The salty, squeaky texture of grilled halloumi or some simply seasoned grilled chicken breasts turns this salad into a satisfying, protein-packed main course. The cool, juicy tomatoes are a perfect contrast to the hot, savoury grill marks.
• Crusty, Garlic-Rubbed Bread — This is non-negotiable in my book. A thick slice of sourdough, toasted and rubbed with a raw garlic clove, is the ideal tool for soaking up every last drop of the incredible tomato and herb-infused dressing left in the bowl.

Drinks

• A Crisp Rosé — The bright acidity and subtle red fruit notes in a dry rosé wine mirror the flavours of the salad perfectly, making each sip and bite feel like a summer celebration.
• Sparkling Water with Lemon — For a non-alcoholic option, nothing beats ice-cold sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh lemon. It cleanses the palate and highlights the salad’s freshness without competing with it.

Something Sweet

• Lemon Sorbet — After the savoury, herby notes of the salad, a scoop of intensely tart and refreshing lemon sorbet is the perfect palate-cleanser. It’s light, simple, and continues the theme of bright, clean flavours.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Using underripe, refrigerated tomatoes. This is the number one way to end up with a bland, disappointing salad. Tomatoes lose their flavour and become mealy when cold. Always, always let them come to room temperature.
• Mistake: Dicing the tomatoes too small. You want substantial, juicy chunks that hold their shape, not a tomato mush. Embrace irregular, rustic pieces for the best texture and visual appeal.
• Mistake: Adding the dressing too early. If you dress the salad more than 10-15 minutes before serving, the salt will draw out too much water from the tomatoes, leaving you with a soupy base. Toss it at the last minute for the perfect consistency.
• Mistake: Skipping the taste test. Tomatoes vary in sweetness and acidity. Always taste your dressed salad and adjust the seasoning—you might need an extra pinch of salt or a tiny drizzle more vinegar to make it sing.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Add a pinch of dried oregano. While the fresh herbs are key, a tiny pinch of high-quality dried oregano rubbed between your fingers and sprinkled into the dressing adds an incredible, subtle depth that really rounds out the flavour profile.
• Tip: Try a different vinegar. While red wine vinegar is classic, don’t be afraid to experiment. A tablespoon of balsamic glaze drizzled over at the end adds sweetness and colour, or a light sherry vinegar can introduce a lovely nutty complexity.
• Tip: Make it a main course. Transform this side into a hearty meal by adding a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, some creamy chunks of mozzarella or feta cheese, and a handful of toasted pine nuts or walnuts for crunch.
• Tip: Use the leftover tomato juice. After you’ve eaten the salad, you’ll likely have an incredibly flavourful pool of tomato and herb dressing left in the bowl. Don’t you dare throw it away! It’s amazing drizzled over grilled fish, stirred into cooked grains like quinoa, or even used as a base for a quick pan sauce.

FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?
You can do some prep ahead, but I don’t recommend assembling it fully. You can chop the tomatoes and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours (let them come back to room temp before using). Make the dressing and slice the shallot separately. Then, simply combine everything no more than 15 minutes before you plan to serve. This keeps the tomatoes from getting watery and the herbs from wilting.

What are the best tomato varieties to use?
Honestly, the best tomatoes are the ones that smell like tomatoes at the stem end! A mix is always great for texture and colour. Heirloom varieties bring incredible flavour and beauty, cherry tomatoes are reliably sweet, and Roma (plum) tomatoes are less watery, providing a meaty texture. If you can only find one type, that’s perfectly fine—just make sure they’re ripe.

My salad became watery. What happened?
This almost always happens if the salad is salted and dressed too far in advance. The salt pulls the moisture out of the tomatoes. To fix a watery salad, you can gently drain off some of the excess liquid right before serving. For next time, just remember the golden rule: dress at the last minute!

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
I really wouldn’t recommend it for this particular recipe. The magic of this salad comes from the bright, aromatic quality of fresh herbs. Dried herbs have a much more concentrated, earthy flavour that would overpower the delicate tomatoes. If you’re in a pinch, fresh basil is the most important one to have—maybe just make a simple basil-focused version.

How long will leftovers keep?
This salad is truly best eaten immediately. However, if you have leftovers, they’ll keep covered in the fridge for up to a day. Expect it to be much more juicy—but honestly, those leftover marinated tomatoes are fantastic the next day spooned over crusty bread or mixed into a grain bowl, so it’s not a total loss!