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This tomato salad with capers comes together in 10 minutes and skips the soggy-salad problem entirely. A sumac-lemon dressing, crumbled feta, and fresh mint make this one genuinely worth making, not just another basic tomato salad.
This tomato salad with capers is one of those side dishes that looks simple but tastes like you actually tried. Ripe summer tomatoes get tossed with briny capers, creamy crumbled feta, fresh parsley and mint, and a lemony sumac dressing that pulls the whole thing together in under 10 minutes. No cooking required.
The sumac dressing is what sets this apart from a basic tomato salad, it adds a citrusy, slightly earthy note that complements the saltiness of the capers and feta without overpowering the tomatoes. It’s the kind of salad that works as a side for grilled meats, spooned over hummus, tucked into a pita, or served alongside a weeknight dinner when you need something fresh on the table fast. If you like tomato salads you also might like this Easy Lebanese Salad or this Persian Tomato Cucumber Salad.
Why This Tomato Salad with Capers Works
The flavor balance here is intentional. Capers bring a briny, salty punch that you’d normally get from olives, but with more acidity, which tomatoes actually need. Feta adds creaminess and richness without weighing the salad down. Fresh mint cuts through both, keeping things bright. And the sumac-lemon dressing ties it together with a citrusy tartness that leans Mediterranean without being heavy.
A few things that make this reliable every time:
• Salt your tomatoes lightly before tossing: it draws out just enough juice to thin the dressing naturally without making the salad soupy
• Use the dressing in two stages: dress right before serving, and keep extra on the side so leftovers don’t get waterlogged
• Let the salad sit 5 minutes before serving: the capers and dressing start to infuse into the tomatoes and the flavor improves noticeably
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Tomatoes: Ripe, in-season tomatoes are the star here, use whatever variety you love or have on hand. Heirloom, beefsteak, roma, or a mix of cherry tomatoes all work well. The riper the better.
- Red Onion + Capers: Red onion adds a mild sharpness that balances the richness of the feta. The capers are small but mighty, they bring a briny, savory punch that makes this salad taste like more than the sum of its parts. Don’t skip them if you can help it.
- Feta Cheese: Creamy, salty, and crumbly, feta is the perfect complement to juicy tomatoes and tangy capers. It adds richness without heaviness and ties the Mediterranean flavors together.
- Fresh Herbs: A combination of fresh parsley and fresh mint gives this salad brightness and a clean finish. Mint is the unexpected touch that makes people ask what’s in it. Fresh basil or dill are great swaps if that’s what you have.
- Sumac Dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, and sumac. Sumac is the ingredient that sets this dressing apart, it’s citrusy and slightly earthy in a way that plain lemon juice just can’t replicate. Za’atar works as a substitute if needed.
Ways to Modify this Tomato Feta Salad
- Cheese: Feta is the move here, but goat cheese works beautifully if that’s what you have. Want to skip the cheese entirely? The sumac dressing is bold enough to carry the salad on its own.
- Tomatoes: Fresh summer tomatoes are ideal, but Oven Roasted Tomatoes or Marinated Tomatoes take this in a completely different (and delicious) direction, deeper flavor, more concentrated sweetness.
- Beans: Chickpeas are my first choice for adding staying power, they’re filling, protein-rich, and very Mediterranean. White beans, black beans, or red beans all work too.
- Protein: This salad turns into a full meal fast. Add grilled salmon, Greek shrimp, Mediterranean chicken, or dry rubbed steak right on top and dinner is done.
- Vegetables: Bell peppers, zucchini, radish, or celery all add crunch and bulk without competing with the capers or feta.
- Olives: If you love olives as much as I do, throw in a handful of kalamata or green olives, they play off the capers really well and double down on that briny Mediterranean flavor.
- Greens: Toss in a handful of arugula, romaine, spinach, or swiss chard to stretch the salad and add some leafy texture.
How to Make a Tomato Salad
Step 1: Mix Together Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl add the tomatoes, red onion, capers, feta cheese, fresh parsley, mint and green onions.
Step 2: Create Dressing: In a mason jar mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, sumac, salt and pepper and mix well.
Step 3: Add Dressing: Pour half of the dressing over the salad and lightly toss. Taste and add more dressing. Serve right way.
What to Serve with Tomato Salad with Capers
This salad is versatile enough to work alongside almost anything coming off the grill or out of the oven. Some of my favorite pairings:
- Grilled proteins: Grilled Beef Kofta Kebabs, Grilled Greek Chicken Thighs, or Mediterranean Salmon all pair well with the bright, briny flavors here
- Mediterranean bowls: Spoon this over Lebanese Hummus or a Mediterranean quinoa bowl for a fast weeknight dinner
- Pitas and wraps: The salad holds up well stuffed into warm pita with a little tzatziki
- Seafood: It works especially well alongside this Air Fryer Cod or Black Sea Bass, the acidity cuts through the richness of the fish
- Bread: Serve with crusty bread and olive oil and it becomes a full mezze spread starter
Storage Tips
- This salad is best eaten the day it’s made. The tomatoes release water as they sit, which dilutes the dressing and softens the texture. If you’re planning ahead, store the dressing separately and toss right before serving.
- To store leftovers: keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before serving, drain any excess liquid from the bottom of the bowl and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil and a small squeeze of lemon to revive the flavor.
- Note: The capers and feta hold up well, it’s really the tomatoes that change texture. Still tasty on day two, just softer.
Recipe FAQ
Capers have a briny, tangy, slightly floral flavor, similar to green olives but more acidic. In a tomato salad, they add a punchy saltiness that balances the sweetness of ripe tomatoes without overwhelming them. If you’ve never used them before, start with 1 tablespoon and taste as you go.
You can prep the ingredients ahead, chop the herbs, slice the onion, crumble the feta, but don’t dress the salad until right before serving. Once dressed, tomatoes release moisture quickly and the salad gets watery within a few hours.
Sumac has a lemony, slightly smoky tartness that’s hard to replace exactly, but za’atar works well here and adds an herby note. You can also just increase the lemon juice slightly and add a small pinch of smoked paprika if you don’t have either on hand.
More Tomato Recipes
Vegetarian
Tomato Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad
Mediterranean
Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Capers
Vegetarian
Lebanese Cucumber Tomato Yogurt Salad
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Tomato Salad with Capers
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced
- 2 ounces capers, drained
- 5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 4 green onions, white and green parts chopped
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon sumac , {or spice of your choice}
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the tomatoes, red onion, capers, feta cheese, parsley, mint and green onions.
- In a mason jar mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, sumac, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Pour half of the dressing over the salad and lightly toss. Taste and add more dressing. Serve right way.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Drain any excess liquid before serving and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil. For best results, dress just before serving and keep extra dressing on the side.
- You can make this salad using cherry tomatoes or any variety of tomato you like.
- This salad is customizable to what you have on hand. Some other ingredients that are nice in this salad are artichokes, roasted red peppers, cucumber or bell pepeprs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the perfect way to use summer tomatoes