This post may contain affiliate links, see my Privacy Policy.
Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes in a light dressing make a perfect Heirloom Tomato Salad
I’ve planted a ton of tomato plants and as soon as I am certain we are beyond the frost danger, they are going in the garden. By late August we will have more tomatoes than we know what to do with!
Sometimes I just can’t wait until my plants are producing. I am ready for fresh tomatoes right now! I bought a bunch of fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes and made this delicious marinated tomato salad.
This salad was super fresh and totally satisfied my craving…at least for now!
What is an Heirloom Tomato?
An heirloom tomato is a tomato seed that has been passed down from generation to generation. There are several varieties of heirloom tomatoes including heirloom cherry tomatoes.
Any type of really flavorful tomato would work in this salad. I liked this variety for the color and taste, but use what is available. If using a large tomato, cut into small, bite sized pieces.
Other Great Salads to Try
- Oriental Chicken Salad
- Pasta and Pea Salad
- Tuna Cobb Salad
- Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
- Couscous Salad
- Thai Pasta Salad
- Panzanella Salad
Fresh tomato salad made with heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil.
- 2 Cups Fresh Heirloom Cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 3-4 leaves fresh basil slice thinly
- Slice large cherry tomatoes in half length wise. Place in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, add all remaining, except basil. Mix together.
- Pour dressing over tomatoes.
- Sprinkle fresh basil over tomatoes.
- Gently stir
- For best results, let sit for at least 30 minutes.
43 Comments
annie@ciaochowbambina
May 10, 2016 at 11:39 amI feel like I missed out on so much while I was away last week! I love this salad!! My mouth is watering just thinking about how sweet and perfect they are!
Meghan | Fox and Briar
May 9, 2016 at 6:22 pmI am such a weirdo, but I don’t like tomatoes. I WISH I liked them because they are pretty and I want to make and eat beautiful salads like this. My husband loves them (it is one of the few things we disagree on). And I KNOW he would love this salad, the flavors are on point. I can tell even though I am a tomato hater 🙂
Kathy
May 10, 2016 at 4:35 amOh no….how could you not love tomatoes? Well, I guess it could be true 🙂 We all have things we love and things we just can’t stand. For me….I hate peanut butter!
Katie Crenshaw
May 9, 2016 at 8:04 amThis is such a beautiful tomato salad Kathy. I am so jealous of your fresh garden tomatoes. I don’t get enough sun in my yard to make mine grow ?. But I can get them from our local farmers market. Thanks for the great recipe!
Kathy
May 10, 2016 at 4:35 amFarmer’s markets are the best! Someone always has just what I want and it’s super fresh!
Ashley
May 6, 2016 at 10:26 amI really wish we had more room to grow tomatoes!! Someday, someday! This salad looks so fresh and wonderful!
Kathy
May 7, 2016 at 6:29 amI love growing my own. The next best thing is visiting your farmer’s market and getting some great tomatoes from a local farmer!
Smitha
May 4, 2016 at 7:13 amSalad is so refreshing and yummy. Fresh from own farm is very healthy
ami@naivecookcooks
May 3, 2016 at 11:49 amI love tomato salad especially with fresh summer tomatoes!! Looks so refreshing!!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:27 amI agree…light and refreshing!
Balvinder
May 3, 2016 at 8:03 amThis is gorgeous!!! It’s cloudy today and might rain, I could use this salad in my kitchen to put a smile on my face!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:28 amNothing like some bright, cheery food to bring out a smile!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry
May 3, 2016 at 7:26 amIn the summer, all I eat is tomato salads. They are so refreshing!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:28 amAnd so good for you!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
May 3, 2016 at 6:40 amI’ve never grown tomatoes, but would love to! And I just adore heirloom tomatoes….all the pretty colours! I actually just picked some up yesterday so this recipe is great timing for me 🙂 Looks so delicious and fresh 🙂
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:29 amThis was a great selection of varieties. They worked perfectly together in this salad.
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
May 3, 2016 at 3:46 amThis heirloom tomato salad looks so gorgeous and delicious, Kathy. Indeed enjoying them raw & fresh is best. A perfect way to welcome warm weather.
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:30 amDuring the summer I love to eat them straight off the vine.
Miriam @londonkitchendiaries.com
May 3, 2016 at 12:28 amFresh tomatoes from the garden taste so delicious. It would be so great to be able to have them all year round. Your heirloom tomato salad looks great. Love the picture ♡
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:32 amThanks! It is very delicious!
Rahul @samosastreet.com
May 2, 2016 at 12:21 pmOh lovely heirlooms! Wish I had room to grow them. So many wonderful varieties to enjoy. You’re right – enjoying them raw & fresh is the way to go!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:33 amLuckily heirlooms are becoming more and more available for those who can’t grow them themselves.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
May 2, 2016 at 10:54 amWhat a delicious fresh salad to get me excited for Summer! I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy our tomatoes so thanks in advance for this!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:33 amSummer is just around the corner!
Amanda
May 2, 2016 at 7:53 amWhat a delicious way to welcome in the warmer weather. I always make sure to have plenty of tomatoes in the garden and I can’t think of a better way to use them. This tomato salad is what I love to live on during the summer.
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:33 amI totally agree!
Kim | Low Carb Maven
May 2, 2016 at 7:42 amKathy, this salad looks so beautiful. I love tomato salads in the Summer and can’t wait to see how you use your bounty on your blog this year!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:34 amI’m sure I will have lots of recipes to share. Hopefully my garden will be generous with its produce!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
May 2, 2016 at 6:10 amOh I’m so jealous you have fresh tomatoes!! I can only imagine how amazing those taste! Heirlooms especially are my favorite, so this simply delicious salad is screaming my name! Fresh and fabulous flavors going on here, Kathy! Cheers!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:35 amYep….I heard it say, “Cheyanne, this is for you!” 🙂
David @ Spiced
May 2, 2016 at 5:20 amAm I mistaken, or have you done a little site update yourself, Kathy? It looks great! (Or maybe I’m just paying super close attention to layouts now that I’m messing with mine…but either way, I like it!)
We used to grow heirloom tomatoes in our garden, and they were a fun addition. The problem is we never knew when to pick the different varieties since we weren’t sure when they were ripe! Maybe we’ll plant some more heirlooms this summer…it’s almost planting time here!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:36 amI made a few updates, nothing major like yours. Thanks for noticing!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden
May 2, 2016 at 5:03 amBeautiful salad and so healthy! I can’t wait to plant my tomatoes, unfortunately we just had a hard frost so I have to wait until June 1st if I want to play it safe. Will be keeping this in mind!
Kathy
May 4, 2016 at 4:36 amSpring weather can be so fickle. Warmer days are coming.
Natanja
May 2, 2016 at 12:41 amWhat a gorgeous salad! I think we are all craving heirloom tomatoes after seeing your creation.
Homegrown tomatoes always taste sooo much better than anything store-bought. My husband and I unfortunatly don’t have a house yet so I can’t grow anything yet. But my dad who does have a large garden is going to grow extra many tomato plants for me. I’m so excited!!
Kathy
May 2, 2016 at 4:44 amSo lucky that your dad is able to grow extra tomatoes for you!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
May 1, 2016 at 4:47 pmGirl, you seriously have me craving tomatoes and summer! I just planted 9 different varieties of tomatoes in my garden and can’t wait for them to start making magic! When they do, I’m totally making this salad! Pinned!
Kathy
May 2, 2016 at 4:46 amNine varieties of tomatoes! Wow! You’ve got me beat. I plant a lot of tomatoes but not that many varieties.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
May 1, 2016 at 6:07 amYou’re so lucky you have your own tomato plants Kathy! I would love to have an abundance of tomatoes during the summer months because I use them so often in my recipes! This is a favorite recipe of mine, but I love the spices you’ve included! I’m curious to try it with dried mustard. Thanks for sharing!
Lynn | The Road to Honey
April 30, 2016 at 5:14 pmI’m so jealous that you have your very own tomato plants. I live in the city where you are lucky to even find a patch of grass. . .but I do remember the small garden that my mother had when I was growing up and tomatoes were always a key part. This salad is beautiful. . .and I am with you. . .the more varied the tomatoes are the more stunning the salad.
Kathy
May 1, 2016 at 4:32 amI wish I could grow them year round….maybe one day!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
April 30, 2016 at 6:40 amGood morning Kathy, I’m impatient for our tomatoes too! This salad looks extra fresh, love the fresh basil and was surprised by the dried mustard! That must give a delicious little zing. Great side!
Kathy
May 1, 2016 at 4:32 amThe mustard does add just a bit of zing. You’d never even know it’s in there.