A simple and beautiful Provencal-style French Tomato Salad. Glistening circles of sliced tomatoes sprinkled with fresh basil, parley and shallots.

French tomato salad with circles of sliced tomatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley, basil and shallots on white plate.

This French Tomato Salad (Salade de Tomates), with its Provençal-style circular arrangement of generously-sized sliced tomatoes sprinkled with fresh basil and peppery flat-leafed parsley, is as delicious as it is beautiful. I know it's a cliché, but this really is sunshine on a plate.

Perfect with pan-fried and grilled meats. Or how about a pan-fried or grilled tuna steak? With chunks of fresh bread to mop up the sumptuous juices, and a glass of Provençal wine, you can almost hear the musical buzz of the cicadas, that sound that is Provence.

What makes this Tomato Salad so great?

A couple of crucial steps make this French Tomato Salad stand out from the all the rest.

Firstly, taking a little time to salt the tomatoes and drain them of some of their juice. This intensifies the flavours of the tomatoes, as well as the herbs and dressing.
Secondly, drizzling the dressing over the tomatoes and letting the salad stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so. This is the master stroke to let all those delicious flavours meld together perfectly.

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What makes this Tomato Salad so great?
Ingredients
How to make a French Tomato Salad
More Salad Recipes
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Ingredients

Tomatoes.
Fresh Parsley.
Fresh Basil.
Shallots.
Olive Oil.
Vinegar.
Salt and Black Pepper.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make a French Tomato Salad

Core the tomatoes. Remove the stalk and top core from 6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes using a small sharp knife.

Two tomatoes on wooden board with core top removed, removed cores next to small sharp knife.

Slice the tomatoes. Thinly slice the tomatoes cross-ways, making sure that the slices are still thick enough for the them to keep their shape and not fall apart.

A tomato sliced in rounds on wooden board, next to chef's knife.

Sprinkle tomatoes with salt. Lay the tomatoes flat, in a single layer if possible, on a wire tray. Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with fine salt and leave to drain. If you have the time, turn the tomato slices occasionally during this time and gently shake to encourage the water to come off them.

Tomatoes sliced in rounds and sprinkled with salt laid flat on round wire tray.

Prepare herbs and shallots. Finely chop the leaves from 1 or 2 sprigs of basil and the leaves from 4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley. Peel and finely chop 2 small shallots.

Finely chopped parsley, basil and shallots in small mounds on wooden board.

Mix the dressing. Put ¼ cup of extra virgin oil and 2 teaspoons of red or white wine vinegar into a cup or glass for mixing. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the salad. On a flat serving dish, arrange the tomato slices in a round circular pattern. Sprinkle with the chopped shallots and then chopped parsley and basil. Finally, drizzle the dressing evenly across the Tomato Salad. Leave the salad to stand for a good 30 minutes or so at room temperature before serving.

More Salad Recipes

For another salad made with tomatoes and fresh parsley, try this Authentic Lebanese Tabbouleh. A deliciously fresh-tasting Parsley Salad with lemon-soaked bulgur wheat, diced tomatoes and lots of parsley.

If you are wanting to serve up a selection of salads as part of a meal such as a buffet or BBQ, a creamy salad such as this Quick Potato Salad with Spring Onions or Creamy Coleslaw with Apples are the perfect balance to the fresher tasting French Tomato Salad. For extra Mayonnaise creaminess, make your own with this Homemade French Mayonnaise recipe.

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