
If you’re a tomato enthusiast like me, you can never get enough of these juicy summer fruits.
So here’s a recipe that allows you to bring that fresh tomato essence to every meal, effortlessly. This simple yet extremely flavorful vinaigrette is superb with any lettuces or baby greens, but it’s also delicious served as a sauce with roasted vegetables, grilled meats or seafood, or used as a dip.
One critical tip: be choosy about your olive oil
To give the vinaigrette an extra boost, be sure to use an extra virgin olive oil with peppery, fruity notes. It’ll make this flavor-packed vinaigrette even more delightful.
Recipe: Butter lettuce salad with grilled zucchini skewers and tomato vinaigrette
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Fresh tomato vinaigrette
4 servings
15 minutes
Ingredients
2 medium, ripe vine tomatoes or 1 medium heirloom tomato (8 oz) (225 g) – quartered and seeded (heirloom tomatoes are more fleshy than regular tomatoes)
1 shallot – skinned and finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 garlic clove – skinned and crushed (use a microplane grater)
1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne (or freshly ground black pepper to taste)
Directions
- Place a box grater in a medium bowl. Coarsely grate the tomato slices with their cut side against the grater. Grate each slice all the way down to the skin. Discard the skins.
- Add the balance of the ingredients to the grated tomatoes. Whisk until well blended and serve.
- Cook’s note: The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but it’s best eaten just after it’s made.

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Your recipes are all great. I make your pizza dough recipe every Friday! Do you have a cookbook?
I love all of your summer remake recipe but this really caught my eye. I have some wonderful homegrown heirloom tomatoes and can see turning a few of them into this vinaigrette. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
You are most welcome, Mj! I hope this vinaigrette finds a spot in your summer repertoire. 🙂
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I had a wonderful cold salmon salad with a tomato vinegrette it
Was great and I have been looking for a vinegrette recipe like this for some time now
Thank you
You’re most welcome, Valerie!
Like I’ve mentioned in your earlier post, I am most intrigued with this fresh tomato vinaigrette. So summery 🙂
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Viviane your recipe looks so easy and tasty too. We will enjoy it!
Thank you Donna!
Hi Viviane,
Just finished making the tomato vinaigrette with some wonderfully fresh tomatoes. It tastes awesome. I’m considering adding fresh basil the next time I make it, have you experimented with it that way yet? Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hello Heidi! Yes, I think fresh herbs would be great in this vinaigrette. Basil for sure, but also thyme, oregano, rosemary… it all depends on what you’d want to serve the vinaigrette with. Thank you so much for stopping by!
This vinaigrette looks fresh and summery and like absolute perfection! I love it.
Thank you Kayle!
This is a wonderfully simple vinaigrette Viviane! I´d love to try it on grilled meats.
Paula! The vinaigrette is delicious on anything grilled! Enjoy…
The Tomato Vinaigrette is seductive, beguiling as a ruby red summer dressing! I can’t wait for our seasonal tomato glut. September can’t arrive fast enough! This is one recipe I’ll be trying soon!
Thank you Deb! A tomato glut is always something to look forward to. Ours is starting to fade I’m afraid!
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That is just beautiful and a perfect late-summer accoutrement to a salad. If I can find some good tomatoes (harder than you might think in Alaska), I will try this!
I happen to have a ripened heirloom tomato that is perfect for this! Can’t wait to try this summery classic =)
oh yes, I love fresh juicy tomatoes! This vinaigrette would be fantastic with some roasted eggplants!
Hi
Vivane, Great.. We have the season here now..So will be trying this way,
PS. This year I grew lemon basil. Omg! To die for.. I grew it from seeds.
Great with tomatoes.
Best wishes to you
Jean 🙂
Hi Jean! You are so sweet… Thank you for stopping by! I love lemon basil… I bet you’ve been using it a lot! This year I planted minette basil, spicy saber basil, purple ruffle, Thai basil and of course… Genovese. Next year i’m adding lemon basil to the list… in your honor! Hugs to you my dear.
Interesting technique to grate. this does look like a wonderful vinaigrette. Good base for bruscheta too.
Hi Evelyne, I think the sauce might make a bruchetta soggy… But if you don’t mind soggy, it’ll be very delicious!