Easy Tomato Salad Recipe

The best tomato salad I know is the one my family has eaten all summer for as long as I can remember — ripe Bulgarian pink tomatoes (розов домат), sweet onion (ор пурпле онион), good olive oil, and a thick crumble of sirene/cheese (Bulgarian Feta) on top. That’s it. When the tomatoes are right, it doesn’t need anything else.

Pink Rozov tomatoes “розов домат” are the ones to look for. They’re not cheap, and even here in Bulgaria the truly good ones aren’t always easy to find — but when you get a proper one, sweet and heavy and barely holding its shape, it’s worth every lev. Just don’t let them go over-ripe; you want them ripe and juicy, not mushy.

When the salad is gone, you tear off a piece of crusty bread and dip it into the tomato-and-oil juices at the bottom of the bowl. People sometimes call this a “poor people’s thing.” Maybe — but it’s one of my happiest childhood memories.

How to make Bulgarian tomato salad

Peel the tomatoes. I’ve started peeling mine and I like it much better — the texture is softer and the dressing clings. Score an X on the bottom, dip in boiling water for 15–20 seconds, then slip the skins off. (You can skip this — see the FAQ.)

Cut and salt. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle with salt, and let them sit about 10 minutes. They’ll release their juices — and those juices are the whole point.

Slice the onion into thin half-moons or smaller slices. Chop parsley (optional).

Dress it. Add the olive oil and, if you like, a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar.

Add the sirene (Feta Cheese) last, crumbled over the top in big pieces so it stays in chunks rather than disappearing into the salad.Tomato salad goes well with grilled meat, like chicken and pork, fish and even vegetables.

Tips For Bulgarian Tomato Salad

The vinegar is optional and a little controversial: a tiny bit of ACV makes the salad tangier, which I like. Plenty of people are firmly against it — leave it out and the salad is still excellent.

The cheese: I use Bulgarian sirene made from cow’s milk. In the US you can find it at Bulgarian or Eastern-European grocery stores in most big cities (New York, Chicago, and more) — or use a good Greek feta.

The onion: yellow, white, or red all work. Use whatever you have.

Tomato Salad FAQ

Do I have to peel the tomatoes? No — it’s optional, and the salad was made without peeling for years. I simply prefer the softer texture now. If you’d rather skip it, just wash the tomatoes well and cut them as usual.

Which tomatoes should I use if I can’t find pink ones? Heirloom, beefsteak, or vine-ripened tomatoes all make a great salad, and cherry tomatoes work too. Go for the ripest, best-quality tomatoes you can get — that matters more than the variety.

What goes well with tomato salad? It’s a full meal on its own with crusty bread. It’s also a good side for grilled meat — chicken or pork — as well as fish and grilled vegetables.

More tomato recipes:

• Red pepper and tomato spread 
• Caprese skewers with balsamic glaze
• Shopska salad recipe (tomato cucumber salad)