Cherry Tomato and Onion Salad

The combination of cherry tomatoes and onions makes a perfect summer salad, as long as the tomatoes don’t become watery and the onion isn’t too harsh. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

Halving and salting the tomatoes and discarding the liquid they exuded kept the salad from turning watery.
Heating the chopped onion briefly in olive oil softened its flavor and texture. We used the onion-infused olive oil to make the perfect mild vinaigrette for the salad.

Cherry Tomato and Onion Salad
Serves 4

2 pints cherry tomatoes , halved (quartered if large)
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion , chopped fine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Pinch cayenne pepper

1. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt in colander set inside bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and onion in small skillet over medium-low heat until onions are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, parsley, and cayenne.

3. Toss drained tomatoes with onion mixture and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Season with salt. Serve.

Recipe from an America's Test Kitchen e-mail newsletter.

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