Everyday cooking
Tomato and onion salad with parsley
Ripe tomatoes are arranged with finely chopped onion and fresh herbs.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings / pieces
- 4
- Topic
- Everyday cooking
This salad relies on ripe, firm tomatoes and very finely cut onion. Toss the onion briefly with vinegar before it meets the tomatoes to distribute its flavour and seasoning more evenly. Arrange tomato slices on a shallow platter so they are not crushed under their own weight. Parsley provides a savoury green note. A large quantity of dressing is unnecessary because the salted tomatoes release their own juice. Serve bread alongside to catch the mixture of tomato liquid, olive oil and vinegar. Keep that liquid with the salad rather than draining away an important part of its flavour.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Slice tomatoes
Wash the tomatoes and remove their hard cores. Slice roughly 5 mm thick with a sharp knife. Halve particularly large tomatoes first so the pieces remain manageable.
- 02
Soak onion briefly
Peel and finely dice onion. Mix with vinegar in a small bowl and stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so every piece makes contact.
- 03
Prepare herbs
Wash and thoroughly dry parsley, then finely chop the leaves. Arrange tomatoes in slightly overlapping rows on the shallow platter rather than compressing them in a deep bowl.
- 04
Add dressing
Stir oil, salt and pepper into the onion. Spoon this mixture evenly over the tomatoes, including the vinegar collected at the bottom of the bowl.
- 05
Rest briefly
Scatter parsley on top and leave for 5 minutes. Taste a slice and adjust cautiously if needed. Serve with the accumulated juices rather than draining them away.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Choose tomatoes by ripeness
Tomatoes should be fragrant and hold their shape during slicing. Very hard fruit releases little juice and often tastes flat. Overripe tomatoes suit sauce better than neatly arranged slices. Mixed colours are welcome if the fruit is similarly ripe.
Moderate strong onion
The brief vinegar stage distributes onion flavour but does not eliminate all pungency. Rinse very strong diced onion briefly in cold water, then drain thoroughly. Red onion is an alternative with a different colour and aroma. Spring onions need less time in the vinegar.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Can I omit the vinegar?
Yes. Use a similar quantity of lemon juice. Particularly flavourful tomatoes can also be served simply with oil, salt and herbs.
Can it stand for a long time?
The tomatoes soften and release more water as they stand. Assemble shortly before eating for the freshest texture rather than salting several hours ahead.
