Simple Spanish Tomato Salad with Tuna & Anchovies

I have sung the praises of the delicious simplicity of Spanish cuisine more than a few times on this website (check out my padrón peppers or my champiñones al ajillo for more thoughts!), but I honestly think there are few things that celebrate Spanish simplicity more than this tomato salad.

I’ve eaten variations of this salad in countless bars throughout Spain – a country that has some of the best fresh tomatoes I’ve ever eaten. From pintxos bars in San Sebastian to rustic tabernas in Málaga, I’ve had this salad adorned with tuna and anchovies – or both or neither!

This is a tomato lover’s salad, so make it with the best, in-season tomatoes you can find!

How to Make a Spanish-Style Tomato Salad

Fundamentally, there are only 3 ingredients to this salad as both tuna and anchovies are definitely optional. Because of this, I need to stress the importance of using the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on.

This is the time to break out the fancy olive oil (and also use in my Bulgarian tarator soup or shopska salad)! It’s also the time to spend a bit more on the oil-packed tuna! Head to the farmer’s market and pick out the most gorgeous heirloom tomatoes you can get your hands on.

That little PSA said, let’s get to the process – which really couldn’t be more simple.

Start by slicing your tomatoes. This is going to be easiest if your knife is extra sharp – I actually make sure to sharpen my knife right before slicing tomatoes to make this as easy as possible on myself.

Once you’ve got your tomatoes sliced, go ahead and arrange them on the platter you’re going to serve it on. I like to spread out a layer of tomatoes and then season with a bit of flaky salt, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil before adding another layer. This ensures every tomato gets evenly seasoned.

After you’ve arranged all of your tomatoes on the platter, give them one more sprinkle of flaky salt, a good grind of black pepper and a generous drizzle of the best, most flavourful extra virgin olive oil that you have.

If you’d like, you can go ahead and serve the salad just like this. I’ve eaten countless salads just like this in Spain – adorned with nothing but salt, pepper and olive oil.

However, if you’re after something a little bit more substantial, I recommend topping with a couple of high-quality oil-packed anchovies and some good canned tuna (not the kind in spring water that you would use for tuna salad – get one packed in olive oil!).

Now all you need to do is serve and enjoy! This is one of those salads that’s best served immediately, but it’s so quick to assemble – that’s not really a bit deal, is it?

And if you like these Mediterranean flavours but would like something fully vegetsrian, check out my lentil corn salad!

If you’re after a fantastic way to highlight summer produce that takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, then this Spanish tomato and tuna salad is really the perfect dish.

Are you looking for ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!