German Tomato Salad Recipe with Variations

Don’t you just love a fresh tomato in summertime? It tastes of sunshine. Even when I can’t get any other veggies to cooperate, I always seem to have success with tomatoes. This year we got a bonus when a few “volunteer” plants came up in the garden before we started planting! Naturally, they all seem to want to come ripe at the same time, but eating them isn’t a hardship. In Germany my Oma always put a few tomatoes on the table for breakfast or Abendbrot. And a Tomatensalat showed up on the small plates to accompany the mid-day meal. A German Tomato Salad is quick to make, and incredibly tasty.

And, the variations are endless!

Add different herbs, take away the onion… or replace it with dried onion or diced shallots. Something as simple as changing the vinegar will change the salad. However you make it, this simple salad can go from garden to table in minutes!

Or add it to your Salatteller, to round things out.

Capture the flavors of summer with a simple German Tomato Salad Recipe!

German Tomato Salad Recipe with Variations

A simple German Tomato Salad is the perfect side dish all summer long!

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Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Cuisine German

Servings 4 Side Servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ripe Tomatoes halved, then sliced (I used 4 medium)
• 1 medium Onion or Shallot diced
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh chopped Parsley
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh chopped Chives

Dressing:

• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar optional

Instructions

 

• Cut the Tomatoes in half, cut out the core where the stem attaches. Slice the halves into 1/3 inch wide half rounds. Place into a medium bowl.
• Finely dice the onion or shallot, add them to the bowl with the tomatoes.
• Finely chop the herbs, add them to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Dressing:

• In a small bowl.... Whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. If your tomatoes are less than perfect, or you like your salad a little sweeter, add the sugar.
• Pour over the Tomatoes, then stir to completely coat the Tomatoes, onion, and herbs.
• Serve immediately

Notes

Serve Immediately, with a slotted spoon because the Tomatoes start to let out a lot of liquid the longer they sit. (The juices are delicious for dipping your bread...) 

If you make it ahead of time, you can just carefully pour some of the liquid off.

Variations for Changing the German Tomato Salad Recipe

Different Oil and Vinegars-

Use Olive Oil (instead of neutral Vegetable oil)

Instead of mild White Wine Vinegar-

Use Red Wine Vinegar for a tarter flavor
Use Balsamic for a sweeter flavor

Onions?

Raw onion doesn’t usually sit well with the people at my dinner table, so we make changes.

Shallots– Dice a small shallot for a milder onion flavor.
Chives– Replace the onion with extra chives
Green Onion– Replace the onion with a few chopped green onions
Dried Onion- I really like the “nutty” onion flavor that you get when using dried onion.
Onion Powder– No child can manage to pick out dried onion!

Herbs

Substitute basil for a more Italian flavor
Add in some dill to the chopped herbs
Lovage (Maggikraut) makes a nice addition

Other Vegetables!

Try mixing in some canned or cooked Green Beans
Cucumber is a lovely summertime addition (especially with Dill)

Something Different- Hard Boiled Egg!

My mom just told me that her Oma would serve the Tomato Salad layered with slices of Hard Boiled Egg. Something to try…

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How to Make Tomato Salad-

Don’t forget the Herbs!

Toss Together and Serve