Name: Tomato and Smoked Salmon Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: PT-486474H48M45S
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 to 4 cups mixed tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, etc…; 4 to 6 slices smoked salmon; 1 Japanese cucumber or 2 small kirby cucumbers; 4-5 dill sprigs; 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar; ½ teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil

Make this bright and colorful tomato salad with smoked salmon in just a few minutes! The perfect side dish to a BBQ or a healthy lunch or light dinner, this beautiful salad is fruity and salty, and comes with a simple French vinaigrette. It’s the best!

This tomato salad is one of our favorite light dishes. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it’s full of sweet, fruity, salty, and tangy flavors. And let’s not forget the dill – so herbaceous and the perfect ingredient to pair with smoked salmon. When I created this tomato and smoked salmon salad, I didn’t expect to like it this much. I thought I was making a simple side for a pasta dinner.

But it turns out that mixing different types of tomatoes and tossing them in a golden vinaigrette yields amazing results. The use of fresh herbs does play a big role in adding depth of flavor, and the fun thing is they can be swapped from one to another. I’m using dill because I love the combo of smoked salmon and dill, but also because I have been on a dill kick lately. It’s also delicious with fresh basil, thyme, and parsley.

Ingredients for Tomato and Smoked Salmon Salad
- Ingredient Substitutions
How To Make This Tomato Salad
Recipe Tip
Storing This Salad
What to Serve with Tomato and Smoked Salmon Salad

ingredients Tomato and Smoked Salmon Salad

Ingredients for Tomato and Smoked Salmon Salad

Tomatoes: Any type of tomatoes can be used to making this salad. I find that mixing them up makes the dish playful and also more complex. That’s because tomatoes can be so vastly different, from texture to levels of sweetness, from one to the next.
Cucumber: It adds a satisfying crunch to the salad. The best types to use are Japanese cucumbers and Kirby cucumbers. An English cucumber is also a good option, so long as the center (where the seeds are) is removed.
Smoked salmon: Bright pink and salty, smoked salmon adds a fatty element to this otherwise lean and light salad.
Dill: Plenty of fresh dill is used to infuse the tomato salad with grassy and lemony notes.
French vinaigrette: A simple mixture of white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and olive oil, is used to dress the salad.

Ingredient Substitutions

There are a few ways to alter this tomato salad without losing its authentic flair.

Instead of cucumber, use avocado, radishes, or celery.
Instead of dill, use fresh basil, thyme, or parsley.
Instead of smoked salmon, use smoked trout or burrata cheese.
Instead of a French vinaigrette, try this all purpose vinaigrette which contains dijon mustard.

How To Make This Tomato Salad

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.

Prepare the tomatoes. Slice the bigger tomatoes so they are bite size but still chunky enough for a substantial bite. Slice the medium tomatoes into quarters and the cherry tomatoes in half.

Slice the cucumber and smoked salmon. Slice them into bite size pieces.

Build the salad by creating layers with different ingredients. On a plate, use the larger tomatoes for the bottom layer and add a layer of medium tomatoes on top. Add the cucumber and smoked salmon on top of the tomatoes. Finish with one last layer of medium and small tomatoes and top with plenty of fresh dill.

Make the French vinaigrette. Mix the ingredients for the French vinaigrette and whisk until the vinegar and oil have emulsified. Drizzle a little over the salad.

Chill the salad before serving it. Place the salad in the fridge and let it chill for at least 15 minutes so the it’s cold when served.

Season a little more and serve. Drizzle a little bit more vinaigrette on the salad and season with salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tip

Leave the bigger tomatoes a little chunky for a meatier texture. But do slice the cherry tomatoes in half so they get to absorb some of the flavor from the vinaigrette. 
For very watery tomatoes, remove part of the seeds and gel-like area. This salad tastes best when the tomatoes are fresh and juicy, but not so juicy that they water down the taste of the other ingredients.

Storing This Salad

If you are planning to serve the salad later, it’s best to hold off on dressing it with the vinaigrette. Save the salad and the vinaigrette separately and refrigerate it until it’s time to serve.

For leftovers, drain the salad first. Leaving smoked salmon in vinegar for a long time gives it a firmer texture and an opaque color, so it’s best to keep the salad as dry as possible. Transfer the salad to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

What to Serve with Tomato and Smoked Salmon Salad

This tomato salad makes a wonderful side to BBQs and other outdoor meals. It can also be enjoyed as a main for lunch or dinner, if you are looking for something light and nutritious.

Some dishes I like to server this salad with:

Other tomato forward recipes you might like to try: Creamy cucumber and tomato salad, all-purpose tomato sauce, pickled cherry tomatoes, pomodoro sauce, spicy tomato and sweet potato soup, Chinese tomato egg stir fry, gazpacho bloody mary, simple fresh salsa.

Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!