Cherry tomato salad is a delicious way to turn your fresh garden harvest into an appetizer or side dish you’ll love. Bursting with sweet vine ripened cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella pears, diced red onion, and fresh herbs, this dish will be on repeat as summer long.
I have a slight problem.
What is it?
Well, I always overestimate the number of tomato plants I need.
By a lot.
So it means by late June, we are up to our ears in all sorts of tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are some of our favorites.
I try to use up the abundance of sweet tomatoes so all summer long I’m making fresh sauce, sandwiches (can’t go wrong with a southern tomato sandwich!) and salads like this one.
This sweet cherry tomato salad pretty much tastes like summer in a bowl and is so easy to make with your garden fresh tomatoes.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Tomatoes– Use up those fresh, vine ripened cherry tomatoes! Just slice them in half.
- Mozzarella– Fresh mozzarella pearls. You can find them in a container in the specialty cheese case at the grocery store. Drain them.
- Red onion– Diced.
- Fresh herbs– Any herbs that pair well with tomatoes and Italian food. I used a mixture of basil, chives, oregano, and thyme for my herbs.
- Extra virgin olive oil– Do not sub another oil. You want the fruitiness of this oil for the dressing.
- Vinegar– Red wine.
- Sugar– This is optional and you only need a pinch to balance the acidity in the vinegar and tomatoes.
- Seasonings– Garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
How to Make
This salad is easy like a simple summer day.
To make it, just add the halved tomatoes, drained cheese, diced onion, and herbs to a large mixing bowl and toss gently to combine.
Then in other smaller bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the tomato salad and toss gently to combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately or cover it and chill it for an hour before serving.
Enjoy!
Should I cut cherry tomatoes for a salad?
I like to cut them for this cherry tomato and mozzarella salad for a few reasons:
- easier bite sized pieces
- cutting them allows their juices to meld with the salad dressing a bit
- the salad dressing and herbs will get into the nooks and crannies of the tomatoes
Storing leftovers
You can store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
However, you should try to eat the leftovers as quickly as possible because the vinegar in the salad will start to break down the tomatoes.
Tips and tricks
- If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs. Keep in mind that dried herbs are often much stronger than their fresh counterparts, so you’ll likely need to use less.
- We include the sugar to counterbalance the acidity in the vinegar and tomatoes; however, it is optional.
- Don’t add salt & pepper until the salad’s complete, then taste and season to your preference.
- This recipe calls for cherry tomatoes but if you have other tomatoes in your garden, you can certainly use them. Just cut them into bite sized pieces.
Other Easy Summer Salads
Cherry tomato salad is one of our favorite ways to use up all those garden fresh summer tomatoes. Make it to use up some of your tomatoes and enjoy!
Looking for other easy summer salads? Try these:
- Creamy Poppy Seed Pasta Salad with Chicken & Grapes
- Seafood Salad
- Killer Marinated Tomato Salad
- Hawaiian Pasta Salad
If you’ve tried this CHERRY TOMATO SALAD, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Garden Fresh Cherry Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups vine ripened sweet cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups mozzarella pearls drained
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, cheese, onion, and herbs to a large mixing bowl. Toss gently to evenly combine, being careful not to squish any tomatoes. Set aside.
- In another smaller mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for salt & pepper. Whisk together until everything's evenly incorporated.
- Pour the dressing over the tomato salad, and toss gently to evenly combine. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to an hour before serving.
Notes
- If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs. Keep in mind that dried herbs are often much stronger than their fresh counterparts, so you'll likely need to use less.
- We include the sugar to counterbalance the acidity in the vinegar and tomatoes; however, it is optional.
- Don't add salt & pepper until the salad's complete, then taste and season to your preference.
- This recipe calls for cherry tomatoes but if you have other tomatoes in your garden, you can certainly use them. Just cut them into bite sized pieces.
Nutrition
[…] Cherry Tomato Salad […]