Our tomato feta salad with honey mustard lime vinaigrette is a true showstopper. It combines peak-season tomatoes, fresh basil, a simple homemade dressing, and the surprising, creamy texture of grated feta for a truly standout dish.
As proven by all our tomato recipes, we’re obsessed and especially get excited during the summer when tomatoes are in full season. This recipe is a fun twist on classic tomato salad. We keep the tomatoes and basil but go rogue with the dressing and make a zesty honey mustard lime vinaigrette, which works beautifully with the tomatoes and feta cheese.
The secret to this salad is to use the large holes on your box grater and grate the feta over the tomatoes on your plate. The thin gratings of feta melt in your mouth with each bite of tomato. We can all thank Chef Richard for the tip, and you can be sure that I’ll be grating my feta over salads from now on. For more salad recipes like this one, see our Greek salad with tomato, cucumber, and feta or this watermelon feta salad.
Key Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Choose slicer or juicy heirloom tomatoes for this salad. You’ll slice them into rounds before drizzling with the vinaigrette. When shopping for tomatoes, you want them to feel heavy for their size and really smell like a tomato (if you take a sniff and they don’t smell like anything, the tomato won’t taste that great). For a salad calling for cherry tomatoes, see this cherry tomato salad (which also has feta).
- Basil and Onion: Sweet Italian basil is lovely, or substitute Thai basil or purple basil (really pretty!). Then, for the onion, use a sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, if you can get your hands on one.
- Feta: Use block feta cheese sold in brine. You’ll grate the feta over your salad using a box grater. This shreds it into thin strips, letting you enjoy its salty, briny kick with every bite. If you don’t have a box grater, you can crumble the cheese instead.
- Honey Mustard Lime Vinaigrette: You can make the vinaigrette in a bowl with a whisk or shake it all together in a glass jar. It combines fresh lime juice (from 1 lime), honey (maple syrup is a good substitute), salt, cumin, Dijon mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Easy Tomato Feta Salad
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When tomatoes are in season, I’m all about enjoying them in every way possible. This tomato feta salad is a standout, especially when made with our honey mustard lime vinaigrette. It’s particularly perfect for larger tomatoes like heirlooms. The secret? We use a box grater to thinly shave the feta directly over the salad. This makes the feta so delicate it practically melts in your mouth with each bite of tomato. I highly recommend it! No problem if you don’t have a box grater. Crumbling the feta works beautifully, too. For another recipe with tomatoes and feta, see our cherry tomato salad or this authentic Greek salad!
You Will Need
3 medium heirloom tomatoes, about 1 pound
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, preferably sweet onion
2 ounces block feta cheese
14 basil leaves, torn
1 lime, juiced, about 2 tablespoons
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Maldon flaky sea salt, as needed
Directions
1Make the lime vinaigrette: Combine the juice of 1 lime, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium bowl. Whisk well until emulsified (or add to a glass jar, close the lid, and shake until emulsified).
2Add the onions: Drop the sliced onions into the vinaigrette and mix well. (This will tone down the raw flavor of the onion a bit).
3Prepare the tomato salad: Slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds and lay them on a large platter or plate. Spoon some of the vinaigrette and onions over the tomatoes and sprinkle with a pinch or two of flaky sea salt (like Maldon). Scatter the basil over the tomatoes. Then, grate the feta cheese over the top using the large holes of a box grater or crumble it with your fingers. Serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Tomato salad is best eaten on the same day (at room temperature), but you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
- The nutrition facts are estimates.
Can’t wait to make this. A nice change from caprese salad. Still waiting on good tomatoes in Wyoming!
You are going to love this salad! It will be worth the wait 🙂