About this recipe:

When it comes to summer recipes, tomato salad has to be one that comes to my mind as soon as the mercury starts to rise. Tomato salad recipes in their simplest form can be nothing more than a few generous slices of ripe tomato, garnished by little more than some cracked black pepper and a generous pinch of coarse sea salt. 

So popular is this ‘caprese’ styled tomato salad, that it’s often hard to imagine anything else. 

However, explore the culinary delights of Spain, and in particular the Mediterranean coast, and you’ll find a wealth of rich and colorful Mediterranean tomato salad recipes that use adventurous ingredients that tantalize the tastebuds during the summer months. Try this 5-minute Spanish tomato salad with a twist (fennel seeds), or this delicious tomato burrata salad with basil and garlic dressing.

This tomato salad recipe combines ingredients from a classic Murcian Salad (giant capers, red onion) along with shaved pieces of Manchego cheese and Serrano ham. Top this with a homemade pesto dressing and you’ve got a quick and easy tomato salad that is worthy of a festive summer BBQ or luscious poolside lunch! 

Hello Summer! We’ve missed you! 

Looking for more summer recipe inspiration? 

Check out our shrimp and avocado salad recipe and our Spanish potato salad recipe without mayonnaise. 

Best tomatoes to use

We have used three different varieties of tomatoes for this recipe, simply to add some different color and flavor. No tomato variety is created equal and you’ll do well to steer clear of the most common ‘salad tomato’ variety that’s so commonly found in supermarkets, for this recipe anyway where they’re one of the stars. 

Use locally sourced tomatoes

Choose a few different varieties and look for ripe tomatoes that are firm and ready to eat immediately. Locally sourced tomatoes will always be best, as they’ll be fresher and often can be found organically grown, giving them a better flavor and color. 

When choosing your tomatoes, check that the skin is firm and without any blemishes. If the stem is attached firmly to the tomato, that’s often a good sign. 

As we are in Spain, we had plenty of tomato variety options to choose from! Here are the tomato varieties we used for this recipe.

• Huevos de Toro (Bull’s Egg tomatoes)
• Kumato Alias Tomate Negro (Black tomatoes)
• Tomate De Terreno (Field tomatoes found in Spain during the summer only)

Summer Tomatoes

Come summertime, there’s a bounty of fresh tomato varieties available and it’s a great time to explore the different flavors and textures of the different varieties. 

Here are some other common tomato varieties found all over the world, and they are ideal for experimenting with a wide range of tomato recipes (including this salad);

• Cherry tomatoes – Available in a variety of colors, with sweet intense flavors. Excellent for salads and roasting.
• Beefsteak tomatoes – Large tomatoes with a fleshy texture. The fruit’s skin is smooth and brilliant red in color. Excellent all-purpose tomato.
• Brandywine – A large tomato with reddish-pink skin. Ideal for grilling as they have a balance between sweetness and acidity. 
• Plum Tomato – Also known as the Roma tomato, this variety is ideal for making soups and gazpachos due to the sweet flavors once ripened. Plum tomatoes are a great all-purpose tomato that’s commonly found preserved in tins. 
• Green Zebra – A green-skinned tomato with a more acidic taste, these tomatoes are excellent for making sauces and jams. They can also be good in savory dishes.

Homemade pesto

If there’s one thing that really makes this recipe really pop, it’s the homemade pesto dressing. This dressing uses simple ingredients and requires no special equipment, although if you want to save some time, a nutribullet is the easiest way to get the right consistency. 

Ingredients for making homemade pesto dressing

• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 30g/1oz. toasted flaked almonds
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled)

How to make homemade pesto dressing

For this salad, we’ve opted for a pesto-style ‘crushed’ salad dressing that uses some very easy-to-find ingredients. 

First, finely chop the parsley and peeled garlic cloves as much as you can, then you’ll need to combine all of the ingredients. We used a mortar and pestle and it took around 2-3 minutes to combine everything. You want to make a thick dressing and not a paste so don’t overdo it when combining the ingredients. 

Cooking tip: If you’re using a blender or nutribullet, a few quick buzzes for 10 seconds at a time will do it. 

A note on the pesto dressing:

Hailing from Italy, “pesto” comes from the verb “pestare,” meaning “to crush.” We’ve adapted the typical recipe to use common Spanish ingredients.

Manchego Cheese

Manchego is a mature Spanish cheese that is from the inland La Mancha region of Spain. Manchego is prized for using milk of the Manchega sheep and can be easily identified by its distinctive brown herringbone rind. Manchego has a bold flavor that sharpens with age and often carries a sweet zesty taste along with a more dense nutty texture. 

Manchego pairs exceptionally well with almonds, and the duo are regulars in many Spanish recipes. In this recipe, we use thinly shaved pieces of Manchego that provide a fantastic texture and add layers of dense flavors alongside the tomato, giant capers, and rich pesto dressing. 

Other toppings for tomato salad

This tomato salad recipe already has a lot of flavor layering and combines the sweetness of the tomatoes, the saltiness of the pesto dressing along with the sharpness of the Manchego cheese. There are also the sharp flavors of red onion and giant capers (called ‘alcaparrones’ in Spanish) that add some crunch to the salad. 

Of course, serrano ham or Jamón Ibérico is also a great meat option and a few shaved ham slices can easily top the salad adding a delicious salty flavor. 

Tomato Salad with Manchego – Prep tips and FAQs

How long does this tomato salad recipe take to make?

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: None
• Total time: 10 minutes

What are the best tomatoes to use?

• Beefsteak tomatoes
• Brandywine
• Plum Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Bull’s Egg Tomatoes 
• Black Tomatoes
• Field tomatoes

Can I use serrano ham or Jamón ibérico as a topping?

If you’re looking for a meat option, add a few slices of serrano or Jamón ibérico. You’ll only need around 50g/2oz.

Is tomato salad healthy?

Tomato salad is very healthy. Tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants and are a great source of vitamin C. Tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. 

A 200g serving of this tomato salad provides the following nutritional information;

• Calories: 187
• Cholesterol: ZERO
• Fiber: 2.8g (10%)

Is tomato salad good for weight loss?

Tomato salad is a great way to satisfy your hunger while not containing too many calories. Tomato salad also provides essential nutrients and minerals to help aid a healthy balanced diet. 

How long will tomato salad keep?

Once you cut tomatoes they will degrade quickly and become soggy. Keep any leftover tomato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

Does tomato salad need to be refrigerated?

Yes, store any leftover tomato salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Freezing tomato salad is not recommended. 

Can tomato salad be made ahead?

It’s best to make your tomato salad fresh. Tomatoes tend to become soggy after a few hours. Make it 30 minutes before and store your tomato salad covered in the fridge for best results.