This tomato salad with capers, olives and mint is fresh, salty and ready in 10 minutes. By serving ripe tomatoes at room temperature and only mixing them with oil, mint and salt just before eating, the salad stays full of flavor without becoming watery.
The combination of sweet tomato, briny capers, savory olives and fresh mint makes this an easy side dish for lunch, a barbecue or a light summer meal. With a good garlic oil and a herb-infused salt, you give the salad a little extra depth without making the recipe complicated.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Serves: 4 as a side dish
- Type: salad, lunch or summer side dish
- Delicious with: bread, fish, pasta, burrata or grilled vegetables
Why this tomato salad works
A good tomato salad is all about timing and balance, not a long list of ingredients. Tomatoes taste fuller when they are not ice-cold. Capers and olives add salt and a little bite. Mint makes everything feel fresher, especially on warm days.
If possible, use different types of tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes add sweetness, Roma tomatoes have more bite, and coeur de boeuf makes the salad softer and juicier. Don’t cut them too small so the salad still looks beautiful on a serving platter.
Ingredients
- 750 g mixed tomatoes, for example Roma, cherry and coeur de boeuf
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and well drained
- 75 g black or green olives, pitted
- A few sprigs of fresh mint
- 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil with garlic
- Pepper to taste
- A pinch of salt with wild garlic
Making tomato salad
- Take the tomatoes out of the fridge in time. Tomatoes have more flavor at room temperature.
- Cut larger tomatoes into wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes. Arrange them loosely on a large serving dish.
- Briefly rinse the capers if they are very salty. Let them drain well.
- Scatter the capers and olives over the tomatoes.
- Tear the mint roughly with your hands and sprinkle it over the salad just before serving.
- Drizzle with garlic oil and finish with pepper and a little salt.
How do you keep tomato salad from getting watery?
Don’t cut the tomatoes too early, and only add salt just before serving. Salt draws moisture out of tomatoes. That’s delicious if you’re serving bread with the salad, but less ideal when the salad needs to sit for a while.
Want to prep the salad ahead? Then cut the tomatoes no more than 1 to 2 hours in advance and keep the dressing, mint and salt separate. Mix everything together at the table or just before serving.
Which seasonings go well with it?
Garlic oil works well because tomato and garlic enhance each other. The wild garlic salt gives the salad a gentle herbal note. Use both sparingly: the tomato should stay in the spotlight.
For more seasonings, have a look at the Nicolas Vahé collection. If you want to serve the salad as part of a summer table, a generous serving bowl from the serving bowls collection is a great match for this dish.
Variations
- With burrata: place a ball of burrata in the center and tear it open only at the table.
- With bread: serve with toasted bread so you can soak up the tomato juices.
- With extra herbs: replace some of the mint with basil or flat-leaf parsley.
- More kick: add thin rings of red onion or a little chili.
Frequently asked questions
Which tomatoes should you use for tomato salad?
Use ripe tomatoes with lots of flavor. A mix of large tomatoes and small cherry tomatoes gives the salad more color, sweetness and texture.
Can you make tomato salad ahead of time?
You can slice the tomatoes in advance, but only add the mint, oil and salt just before serving. That keeps the salad fresh.
What do you eat with tomato salad with capers and olives?
This salad goes well with bread, grilled fish, pasta, potatoes, burrata or a simple barbecue.
How long does tomato salad keep?
Covered in the fridge, the salad keeps for about 1 day. The tomatoes will soften and release more moisture.
Start gently
Start with good tomatoes and only add the seasonings at the end. With very little effort, you’ll have a fresh tomato salad that looks beautiful on the table and pairs easily with other summer dishes.
