Garden Tomato Salad

A colourful, crowd-pleasing summer side that’s anything but boring.

When you need something fresh, easy, and guaranteed to impress — this is the salad to make.

The garden tomato salad is perfect for BBQs, bring-a-dish get-togethers, or those warmer evenings when dinner just needs to appear with minimal effort. Sweet, juicy tomatoes in all shapes and colours get paired with sharp shallots, fresh herbs and a simple dressing that makes it all sing.

You can prep it ahead, serve it cold or at room temperature, and feel quietly smug that something this pretty is also incredibly good for you.

Why It’s Good For You

Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants, especially lycopene, which supports heart health and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. They’re also packed with vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K, making this salad a light but powerful addition to your plate.

For extra health benefits, store your tomatoes at room temperature and combine them with healthy fats — like olive oil — to boost lycopene absorption.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the salad

1.25–1.5 kg ripe tomatoes (in as many colours, shapes, and sizes as you can find)

50g mixed soft herbs (e.g. chives, thyme, parsley, mint)

5–6 shallots, finely diced

For the dressing

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp clear honey

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Prep the veg

   Slice the large tomatoes and halve the smaller ones. Pick the herb leaves and roughly chop them. Mix with the diced shallots.

2. Layer it up

   On a large platter, begin layering the tomatoes, scattering some of the herb-shallot mix and a grind of black pepper over each layer. Repeat until everything is used.

3. Let the flavours mingle

   Cover and chill for a few hours. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.

4. Dress and serve

   Whisk the dressing ingredients together with a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the salad just before serving.

Looking for more summer salad inspiration to support your goals? Try our Fattoush salad and Mediterranean chicken salad recipes or learn how to create the perfect salad of your own flavours and textures that work for you, with balanced macros and zero boredom.