This tomato salad is, what I would call, a minimalist salad. When great tomatoes are abundant, either from your own garden, the farmer’s market, or even a supermarket, this simple tomato salad can be on your plate in mere minutes. Sweet garden tomatoes paired with bitter, fragrant micro arugula and fruity olive oil is divine.

The best tomatoes you can find, quality olive oil, microgreens and/or herbs and salt and pepper. That is all. This particular recipe features arugula microgreens, but you can substitute regular arugula, or even swap the arugula for basil. Buy them or grow your own arugula microgreens like we do. It really is very easy. Melissa wrote this step-by-step guide and recommends the growing tools she uses in this post.

1. Pick Perfectly Ripe Tomatoes

Tomatoes are the superstar of this recipe, so selecting the best tomato within your budget is paramount. If the only tomatoes available are mealy and bland, maybe, don’t make this particular recipe.

When selecting tomatoes at the market or off your own plant, there are a few key indicators to look for. A ripe tomato will typically have a deep, vibrant red color—but that is not always true because so many colorful tomato varieties are available today. So, gently press a finger on the skin of the tomato; it should yield slightly under pressure without feeling mushy.

Additionally, a ripe tomato often has a subtle, sweet aroma. Avoid tomatoes that are green or have blemishes. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that you’re bringing home juicy, flavorful tomatoes.

A Note On Buying Underripe Hard Tomatoes

My favorite tomato farmer in San Diego County often brings underripe—hard tomatoes to the farmer’s market. The farmer picks the tomatoes when they are still a bit hard, so the tomatoes are not too squishy and ripe at the farmer’s market. Hard tomatoes will ripen on your counter in a few days. If you know the tomato farmer and variety well (like from your favorite farmer’s market vendor) you know the tomato will ripen beautifully even if you buy a hard tomato.

It is necessary for tomato farmer’s to harvest tomatoes slightly under-ripe because some people buy food at the market for later in the week, a perfectly ripe tomato on a Sunday may be overripe and mealy by Thursday. Also, traveling with a bin of soft tomatoes can lead to squished tomatoes, which can attract gnats and ruin an entire bin.

Ultimately, you can buy a hard tomato that is still excellent. Just wait a few days until it ripens.

2. Tomato Shape & Salad Serving Dish

You can choose to slice your tomatoes in wedges, coins, or chunks. This is a personal preference, but deserves a moment of thought. The way you slice the tomatoes will affect the seasoning-to-tomato ratio.

Also, if you are making this tomato salad for others, the shape and size of the serving dish can guide your choice of shape.

Slicing Tomatoes in Coins—Best for Serving Platters

Coin-shaped tomato slices will look beautiful on a large flat platter. The olive oil and seasonings will permeate through the entire tomato slice and take up a larger portion of the plate. If you are serving the tomato salad with arugula microgreens, the visuals will be stunning.

Slicing the Tomato in Wedges—Best for Serving Bowls

If you are serving in a bowl (vs platter) cutting the tomato in a wedge shape is a better choice. You may need to use a knife and a fork to cut the tomatoes into bite sizes as you eat the salad. The wedge shape is great if you have superb tomatoes. The taste of the tomatoes will shine, and you’ll get less olive oil per bit and you’ll have fewer microgreens per mouthful.

I prefer the wedge shape if I’m serving this salad with a heartier main dish or even a big baked potato.

Cutting the Tomato in Cubes or Halves—Best for Serving Bowls

Slicing in cubes will not make a great presentation, but it is my preferred shape if I’m eating this salad with bread. I love to pile this salad on crusty bread to make a quasi-bread salad. If you are using cherry tomatoes, slice them in half.

Slicing in chunks takes this salad from a side salad to an appetizer or even topping. The tomato salad becomes lovely as a topper for freshly grilled fish, or even atop fluffy couscous.

3. Micro Arugula (Arugula Microgreens)

Micro Arugula is zesty and tender and pairs deliciously with sweet tomatoes. If you don’t have access to micro arugula, you can use mature arugula cut into thin ribbons.

Micro Arugula is best right after harvesting, so try to find living microgreens you harvest at home. If you find micro arugula in a store, look for a package without condensation.

Want to Grow Your Own Arugula Microgreens?

Read my step-by-step guide for growing your own micro arugula. You can be ready to make this recipe in a week with your own homegrown microgreens.

4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Find an extra virgin olive oil you love. I’ve been buying olive oil from Costco for everyday cooking, and a locally farmed extra virgin olive oil for eating raw. If you want to order online, we love this olive oil and we even gift it to friends. The important thing is to make sure your olive oil is fresh (not rancid) and to make sure you like the taste. Look for 100% olive oil and not olive oil mixed with other cheaper oils.

If you have a favorite extra virgin olive oil, use that one. Don’t overthink it.

5. Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Optional

Aged balsamic vinegar is thick, gooey, and tangy-sweet. It is an optional ingredient, but if you have it, use it! It adds a color contrast and a flavor punch. We like this one that can be ordered from Amazon.

If you have regular balsamic, you can simmer it down to the thickness of an aged balsamic, read a great tutorial here.

6. Salt & Pepper

The final ingredient is salt. Again, don’t overthink it, use a salt you enjoy eating.