Crunchy and refreshing Whole30 and paleo tomato salad with smoky bacon vinaigrette dressing! You’ll love the flavors of onion, basil, and crispy bacon bits with every bite.
This Whole30 and paleo tomato salad with bacon vinaigrette dressing is full of flavor that screams summer. It’s just so refreshing and light while still being filling. I actually had it for lunch with a side of sourdough bread, and it was so delicious!
In This Post…
Easy Bacon Tomato Salad Recipe
This delicious paleo bacon and tomato salad is simple but packed with flavor! Tomatoes, onion, bacon, and basil are tossed together with the most amazing bacon fat vinaigrette that’s zesty and smoky at the same time. In addition, the whole thing comes together super quickly, and it’s so easy as well! If you are looking for an easy dish, it’s perfect for a quick lunch or a summery side at a BBQ.
Ingredients In This Bacon and Tomato Salad
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the ingredients. Each component adds such a wonderful flavor and texture!
For the Salad
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Basil
- Bacon
For the Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing
- Bacon fat (reserved from cooking the bacon in the instructions)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
Directions: How to Make Whole30 & Paleo Tomato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
- Slice the tomatoes and place in a large mixing bowl with onions and basil.
- Cook the bacon until crisp in a pan. Once it’s done cooking, remove and crumble into bits and save the bacon fat.
- Make the bacon fat vinaigrette: Combine bacon fat, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together.
- Pour over the salad and toss together to coat. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Yes, it’s refined sugar free and Whole30-compliant. Make sure to use sugar and nitrate-free bacon. If you need help finding a compliant brand, my favorite is Pederson Farms’ bacon. All their products have clean ingredients and taste amazing!
I personally love heirloom tomatoes because they have the BEST flavor. Usually, I get them from the farmers market, but you can also find them at grocery stores. However, any other tomatoes you have on hand will work – even grape tomatoes. If you do use grape tomatoes, I recommend halving them before adding them to the salad.
This bacon tomato salad is best eaten right away for that crunchy and refreshing flavor. However, you can save the leftovers by placing it in an airtight container and storing it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The contents may get a bit soggy, so I recommend not adding the bacon bits to the salad until you are ready to serve it.
Other Paleo & Whole30 summer salads you might love…
- Raw Asparagus Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Vegan, Low Carb)
- Creamy Grape Salad with Pecans and Bacon (Dairy Free, Whole30, Paleo)
- Paleo Beet Salad with Cabbage and Pecans (Whole30, Vegan)
- Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Prosciutto (Paleo, Whole30)
- Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
Bacon Tomato Salad Recipe (Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 3 lb heirloom tomatoes or any other tomatoes
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 12 basil leaves torn
- 8 oz bacon sugar free, for Whole30
Bacon Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Add sliced onions and torn basil leaves.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Remove from heat and crumble when cool enough to handle. Add to the salad.
- Reserve 3 tbsp of bacon fat and add to a small bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients of the bacon vinaigrette to the bacon fat and whisk together.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss together. Enjoy!
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This is the perfect summer salad!!! That salty, smoky bacon really but it over the top and I was surprised how easy it was to make my own vinaigrette!
This salad is SO DELICIOUS! I love the dressing but it’s the bacon!! Perfect for summer tomatoes!
This is such a delicious salad!! It’s one of those recipes that made me think, why didn’t I think of that?! The combination of bacon and heirloom tomatoes is just so so good, and it’s SO nice to have it dairy-free and Whole30. 🙂
I already planned to make this and then I saw that bacon vinaigrette and now I have to! This looks great!
Tomato and bacon with that vinegarette have so much flavor! The basil adds just the right touch.
This is delicious! Will make again and shared with friends!