Italian Tomato Salad

Enjoy the best flavors of the Mediterranean—juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, savory brine-cured olives, and fresh basil—in this classic Italian tomato salad. It’s like a deconstructed bruschetta salad, or some may call it a bread salad. The red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil marries the flavors beautifully, and of course, no Italian dish would be complete without a hearty dose of bread!

We love recipes that use up ingredients that might otherwise be thrown away. This super-simple Italian tomato, olive, and bread salad is one of those perfect vegan salads, and it’s so delicious. Using those classic Mediterranean ingredients and some leftover bread (it’s okay if it’s getting hard!), you can prepare a super special salad you’ll keep on going back to.

Why You’ll Love This Salad

This salad brings a taste of Italy to your table with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor! Simple to make yet incredibly satisfying, it’s a refreshing way to enjoy peak-season produce. Here are more reasons you’re going to fall in love with this salad:

• Easy to make – Ready in just 20 minutes with a handful of ingredients!
• Zero-waste – Too often, our uneaten bread that gets hard is thrown away and is replaced with a new loaf. No more! Save that hard(ish) bread and make homemade croutons! They’re delicious in this salad—but you can also use these as a soup topping or for a vegan caesar salad!
• Perfect for picnics – While this salad can be enjoyed year-round, nothing beats serving it up with fresh summer tomatoes for a picnic or BBQ.

What You’ll Need

This easy Italian recipe doesn’t call for much. However, you’ll want to make sure you use the freshest ingredients for the best possible flavor to help this salad shine! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Ripe Tomatoes: Opt for ripe, flavorful tomatoes like heirlooms or vine-ripened tomatoes to bring out the best flavor. You’ll need about 3 medium tomatoes, diced. The juicier the tomato the better—this will contribute to the salad’s natural dressing.
• Italian Bread: Choose a rustic, crusty Italian bread or a baguette for the best texture. Day-old bread works wonderfully, as it absorbs the dressing without getting too soggy. Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch or smaller) for easy eating.
• Olives: Kalamata olives add a briny, savory depth to the salad. Look for pitted, cured olives and slice them thinly for easy distribution of flavor throughout the salad.
• Fresh Basil: Finely chopped basil adds a fresh, aromatic layer to the salad. Use fresh basil for the best flavor—dried won’t have the same impact here.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: High-quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for a salad like this, where the oil’s flavor can shine. The richness of the olive oil complements the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar perfectly.
• Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is classic but you can swap it for white wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar if that’s all you have on hand.

How To Serve This Tomato Salad

This simple but super flavorful Italian tomato salad would be an ideal side dish for a light veggie soup. Soups are a great main, but sometimes they are just not enough. That’s when this salad comes to the rescue! Adding fresh veggies and some comforting crunchy bread will round up the perfect lunch.

Here are a few of our favorite vegan soups to pair with this tomato salad recipe.

This Italian tomato salad also pairs perfectly with other Italian favorites like spaghetti arrabbiata, easy lentil bolognese, or this vegan pesto pasta.