Tomato cracker salad is the Southern side dish you’ll want to try this summer

Got tomatoes growing in your garden? Love old-fashioned Southern recipes? If so, you’re going to want to try this salad, which is an easy way to dress up juicy, ripe tomatoes to create a refreshing side that goes well with grilled proteins, like hot dogs, brats or chicken.

Blogger Christin Mahrlig of Spicy Southern Kitchen posted this recipe on her site in 2019, saying, “Tomato Cracker Salad may sound and look a little bit strange, but if you are a fan of tomato sandwiches, you will love it.” She calls it “a recipe that will most likely have to grow on you.”

For best results, this is a salad you’re going to want to eat right away, as the crunchy components can get soggy if they sit around for too long. The ingredients include tomatoes, crackers (either saltine or club) and mayonnaise — Mahrlig suggests Duke’s or Hellman’s and we’re on board with both those choices.

Add a little green onion and a few spices, mix, and you’ve got a great-looking, inexpensive side for a summer luncheon! For the full method, appropriate amounts and tips on keeping its texture intact, you’ll want to check out the recipe.

In the comments, people have also suggested ways to change things up. One suggested using different colors of small cherry tomatoes, while another suggested adding pieces of chopped red, green or yellow peppers to add color and crunch as well as volume. Another way to customize this would be to add a protein, like pieces of hard-boiled egg or bacon.

Looking for other ways to use up that summer garden bounty? You could make the classic tomato sandwich, as mentioned above. Or, go for a delicious bruschetta appetizer that’s perfect for parties. If you also like cucumbers, a marinated cucumber tomato salad recipe we love might be just the ticket during the hot August days that are coming up.

There are some amazing and super tasty ways to use your end-of-season harvest and they’ll help you enjoy the rest of summer to the fullest. Enjoy!