Tomato Salad
An easy vegan built around ripe tomatoes and fresh basil leaves — roughly 55 minutes start to finish, and rated easy to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for whisk. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, every ingredient resolved to a plant source.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegan — no meat, fish, dairy, egg or honey, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: none of the major allergens we track from the ingredients listed.
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Rinse the tomatoes, remove the cores, and slice them into thin rounds or bite-sized wedges, then arrange them in a wide shallow serving bowl.
- Peel the red onions, halve them, and slice them as thinly as you can; if the onion is sharp, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes and drain well to mellow the bite.
- Peel the garlic clove and grate or very finely mince it, then whisk it together with the olive oil and red wine vinegar to make a quick dressing.
- Scatter the onion slices over the tomatoes and pour the dressing evenly across the top.
- Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then gently toss so every piece is coated without crushing the tomatoes.
- Tear the basil leaves over the salad and let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so the juices mingle before serving.
You'll use: Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Red Wine
- beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar · grape juice + vinegar
Tips & common questions
How long does Tomato Salad take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of red wine?
Try beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Tomato Salad vegan?
Every ingredient listed on this page resolved to a plant or mineral source in our ingredient ontology — no meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, egg or honey. Labels can still differ by brand, so check packaged items.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Tomato Salad is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Tomato salad with onions and tuna.jpg by Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.