This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Built for peak tomato season, this Greek-inspired tomato salad is all about contrast. Large, juicy heirloom wedges sit alongside firmer halved cherry tomatoes, creamy-salty feta, tangy red onion, and plenty of fresh basil and mint. It’s simple, generous, and exactly the kind of salad you want when tomatoes are at their best. I’ve also joked that my favorite drink is “the bottom of a Greek salad,” and while this isn’t a traditional Greek salad, that salty, tangy tomato-feta juice at the bottom deserves to be spooned onto every serving—not drained away.
Why You’ll Love This Tomato Salad
- Quick summer side: This tomato salad takes just 10 minutes to prep before a short 10–15-minute rest.
- Two tomatoes, two textures: Large heirloom pieces stay soft, juicy, and substantial, while halved cherry tomatoes bring smaller, firmer bites to the bowl.
- Generous feta and herbs: This is not the place for a sad sprinkle of cheese or a few tiny herb leaves. Keep the feta in irregular hunks and use both basil and mint so every serving gets creamy, salty pockets and plenty of freshness.
- Bright, tangy dressing: Lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil bring just enough acidity to balance the ripe tomatoes and salty feta without covering up their flavor.
What Goes in This Tomato Salad
This tomato salad keeps the ingredient list focused so the tomatoes, feta, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh herbs can do the heavy lifting.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Three large heirloom tomatoes are cut into wedges and the wedges are halved. Keeping the pieces large protects that soft, juicy heirloom texture instead of turning the tomatoes into a small dice that disappears into the bowl.
Cherry Tomatoes
You’ll also need cherry tomatoes. Their smaller size and firmer texture give the salad another kind of tomato bite alongside the substantial heirloom pieces.
Feta
Pull it into irregular hunks instead of finely crumbling it. Those larger pieces stay creamy and distinct after tossing, giving you salty pockets of feta rather than cheese that vanishes into the rest of the salad.
Pickled or Thinly Sliced Red Onion
Both options work here. Pickled red onion gives you extra tang and a softer onion bite, while thinly sliced fresh red onion keeps that contrast sharper and more direct.
Basil and Mint
Chopped basil adds sweet, summery aroma, while chopped mint bring a cooling freshness. Using both makes the herb flavor feel intentional rather than decorative.
Lemon and Red Wine Vinaigrette
The dressing uses extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and ground pepper. Lemon gives it fresh citrus acidity, while the smaller amount of red wine vinegar leaves behind a slightly sharper, lingering tang.
Why Let the Salad Rest Before Serving?
Once the dressed tomatoes are salted, they begin releasing some of their juices. Give the salad 10–15 minutes and those juices mingle with the olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, and salty feta, creating an even more flavorful dressing in the bottom of the bowl.
The short rest also gives the flavors time to settle into the tomatoes, feta, herbs, and onion without leaving the salad sitting long enough for the ingredients to lose their texture.
The liquid at the bottom is part of the dish, not something that went wrong. Don’t drain it. Spoon it over the tomatoes and feta when you serve.
Tips for the Best Texture and Flavor
Start with ripe tomatoes: Look for tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and smell fragrant but are still firm enough to cut cleanly into wedges.
Keep the feta chunky: Pull it apart into irregular hunks rather than finely crumbling it. This helps the cheese stay distinct instead of disappearing into the salad.
Be gentle when tossing: You want every piece coated in vinaigrette without breaking down the heirloom tomatoes or smashing the feta.
Recombine the vinaigrette: Oil and acid naturally separate as they stand, so give the dressing another good whisk or shake immediately before using it.
Serve what’s at the bottom: That tomato-heavy vinaigrette is flavor, not waste. Make sure a little lands on each serving.
What to Serve with Tomato Salad
This tomato salad makes a fresh side for a Greek-inspired or meze-style spread, especially with plenty of dips and bread on the table.
Serve it with Fluffy Greek Pita Bread for scooping up the tomatoes, feta, and dressing. Add Greek Tzatziki Sauce for a cool, garlicky dip and follow my How to Make Hummus tutorial for another easy meze-style companion.
If you’re putting together a larger spread of fresh and briny sides, my Olive Salad fits right in.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Store the assembled salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. The tomatoes will continue to soften as they sit, so give the salad a gentle toss before serving.
For a cucumber-forward version, try my Cucumber Tomato Salad with Fresh Herbs and Sumac, which pairs crisp cucumber with fresh herbs and the bright flavor of sumac.
FAQs
This version combines heirloom and cherry tomatoes with pickled or thinly sliced red onion, hunks of feta, fresh basil, and fresh mint. The dressing is made with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and ground pepper.
Let the salad rest for 10–15 minutes after dressing it. The salt encourages the cut tomatoes to release some of their juices, which mingle with the vinaigrette and feta while the salad rests.
Yes. Use ⅓ cup of either pickled red onion or thinly sliced fresh red onion. Pickled onion gives the salad a tangier, softer bite, while fresh red onion tastes sharper.
The recipe uses both. Large heirloom pieces give the salad its soft, juicy body, while halved cherry tomatoes add smaller, firmer bites and create the intended contrast in texture.
Store the assembled salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. The tomatoes will soften as they sit, so give everything a gentle toss before serving.
No. This is a Greek-inspired tomato and feta salad with basil, mint, and a lemon-red wine vinaigrette. It does not contain the cucumber, olives, green pepper, and oregano commonly associated with horiatiki, so it is not a traditional Greek salad.
Save this recipe for later
Ingredients
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
For the salad
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut in wedges and then halve the wedges (about 3 heaping cups)
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup pickled red onions, or thinly sliced red onion
- 150 grams feta cheese, pulled into hunks of feta (about 1 cup feta pieces)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
Instructions
Start Cooking- Make the dressing: To a small bowl or in a jar, add the dressing ingredients and whisk together or shake it to combine. Set aside.
- To a medium mixing bowl add the tomatoes, pickled red onion, hunks of feta cheese, fresh chopped basil and fresh chopped mint. Whisk the dressing one more time and then drizzle over top of the salad. Toss gently to combine.
- Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 day in an airtight container before serving.
- If you love this salad, try our Cucumber Tomato Salad with Fresh Herbs and Sumac
Be the first to discuss this recipe.