Tomato and Onion Salad (Easy 15-Minute Prep)
This bold-flavored, colorful, marinated tomato and onion salad, bathed in a sweet and tangy homemade Catalina dressing, makes for a delicious fresh side dish even when tomatoes aren’t at their peak.
For an even shorter version, feel free to use a store-bought Catalina dressing 😉.
This decades-old family recipe was originally made with Kraft Catalina dressing which I confess I still use from time to time. Mostly, though, I prefer to create my own salad dressings as they can be easily tailored to my taste. Â
What to expect
This naturally gluten-free salad, made with a few simple ingredients, only takes about 15 minutes of prep time including the homemade dressing, and another hour or so to sit and blend the flavors.
I use a highly rated 1960’s Catalina dressing recipe on food.com and tweaked it with less sugar and vinegar. Â
4 things to love about this recipe:
- It adds gorgeous color to any dinner plate or Christmas buffet.
- It packs a big flavor punch, especially when paired with milder main dishes.
- You don’t need an extra salad plate (I love that!)
- It still tastes great even when tomatoes are not in season.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Tomatoes: Any tomatoes will work – cocktail tomatoes, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, field tomatoes, plum, beefsteak, heirloom tomatoes (my faves).
- Onions: I always use green onions as they are sweet, mild, and colorful. You can, however, use another type of onion such as white onions, sweet onions, or a red onion.
- Homemade Catalina dressing: red wine vinegar, ketchup, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, onion powder
Variations
- Substitutes
- Use any other vinaigrette dressing instead of Catalina
- Use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar
- Add-ins:
- Add diced avocado or sliced cucumber before serving
- Garnish with finely chopped fresh herbs like fresh oregano, parsley, fresh dill, thyme, fresh basil or chives
- Sprinkle on crumbled goat cheese for tang and/or toasted pine nuts for crunch.
Step by step instructions
Recipe FAQ
Catalina and French dressings are similar but differ in texture and color. Catalina is bright red, smoother, and less creamy. French dressing is a paler reddish-orange, with a stronger vinegar taste. For this recipe, either would be fine.
Shortcut
Use bottled Catalina dressing. I did this for years and it works very well in this recipe.
What to serve with marinated tomatoes
As a side salad: I serve this versatile side salad with just about any main dish – meat, chicken, turkey, pork, or fish. The marinated tomatoes are a great side dish with vegetable chicken meatloaf, grilled chili lime chicken wings, grilled marinated flank steak, stuffed salmon with lemon ricotta or classic prime rib roast. It’s especially festive as a Christmas salad when presented in a glass bowl to highlight the vibrant red and green colors.
In a simple vegetarian lunch: Layer it over polenta or tofu and serve with some crusty bread for a tasty vegetarian meal. This recipe for polenta with tomato salad is a wonderful combination – simply swap the tomato salad with this one.
As a buffet or potluck dish. Easy to transport, this dish is perfect for gatherings. It also complements a brunch spread with lox and bagels beautifully.
As a topping for burgers. Add a fresh burst of flavor to sous vide burgers, veggie burgers or chicken burgers.
Other simple salad recipes you might like
BTW, if you love tomatoes, check out some great recipes and tips on what to do with tomatoes.
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Tomato Onion Salad (15 Min. Prep)
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh tomatoes, Note 2 (I use about 9-10 larger cocktail tomatoes)
- salt
- 4 green onions
Catalina Dressing, Note 1
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon sugar (or 1 1/2 of you prefer less sweet)
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil or Canola oil
Instructions
- PREPARE TOMATOES AND GREEN ONIONS: Finely chop green onions. Slice tomatoes to 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick. If you are using regular tomatoes, you can cut each slice in half. If you have very juicy tomatoes with lots of seeds, I grab a bunch at a time and give them a good squeeze between my two hands over the sink. This will prevent the salad from becoming too watery.
- MAKE THE CATALINA DRESSING: In a food processor or blender, add all Catalina Dressing ingredients except oil. Pulse a few times until blended. Slowly add the oil and process for a minute. Alternatively, whisk ingredients together in a bowl and slowly add in oil while whisking until thickened.
- LAYER THE TOMATO SALAD INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl (glass if possible to see all the colours), add a tablespoon or so of dressing to cover the bottom. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on top of dressing. Lightly sprinkle tomatoes with salt. Sprinkle with some green onions. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with green onions. Cover and let sit for an hour or two on the counter or up to one day in the fridge to blend the flavors. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Catalina dressing shortcut: instead of making the dressing, buy a bottle of Catalina or French dressing. Great shortcut I use all the time.
- Type of tomatoes to use: any kind – cocktail, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, field, plum, beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes.Â
- Variations and substitutes:Â
- Add diced avocado or sliced cucumber before serving
- Garnish with finely chopped fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh dill, thyme, fresh basil or chives
- Sprinkle on crumbled goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, feta cheese, or toasted pine nuts for crunch.
- Substitutes:
- Use any other vinaigrette dressing instead of Catalina
- Use white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar
- Try chopped sweet onions or white onions instead of green onions (I prefer the milder and more colorful green onions for this tomato salad)
- Make Ahead:
- The recipe can be made a day ahead and kept, covered in an airtight container, in the fridge. Leftovers will keep for another day or two but they get more watery after a day.
- If you are making the side salad the same day, try to let the tomato salad sit for an hour before serving to let the flavors blend if you have time.
