Cracker Salad

Cracker Salad in a white bowl with a blue rim

Have you ever heard of Cracker Salad?

If you’re a fan of a tomato sandwich, then you’re going to absolutely love this recipe! It tastes like a tomato sandwich that you can eat with a spoon. In fact, I actually prefer Cracker Salad to a tomato sandwich both in texture and in flavor.

What is Cracker Salad?

Don’t let the name fool you, it’s definitely not a traditional salad by any means. There is not one bit of lettuce in it, but there is tomato, mayonnaise, saltine crackers, and a couple other things to add to the flavor. It’s nothing fancy, totally simple and easy – but it’s beyond delicious.

This is a recipe that you’ll want to make right before serving. Part of what makes this so delicious is the texture of the saltine crackers. If you make this ahead of time, you’ll have a soggy cracker salad – and no one wants to eat that! So, make it fresh and serve it right when you make it.

It makes a delicious and easy lunch or dinner!

What ingredients do I need to make Cracker Salad?

Here’s the entire cast of ingredients.

As always, you can find the printable version of this recipe at the bottom of the post. There is also a video tutorial starring yours truly right above the printable recipe.

Cracker salad cast of ingredients

  • 2-3 large tomatoes 
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise (I prefer Dukes, but use your favorite)
  • 1/2 of a shallot, minced 
  • 1 sleeve of saltine crackers (I prefer the salted ones) – sometimes I use 1/2 sleeve extra. 
  • 2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste 

How do I prepare this recipe?

Remove the stem end of the tomatoes & cut them in half. Over a bowl or the sink, give the tomatoes a squeeze so that they release some of their seeds and juice. It’s not necessary to remove all the seeds, but eliminating some of the liquid improves the texture of the salad.

Squeezing juice from tomatoes

Dice tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, and set aside.

I used brandywine and lemon boy tomatoes from my garden.

Diced tomatoes

Combine the minced shallot, half of the chives, chopped tomatoes (save a few for garnish), and mayonnaise. Season with pepper.

Crumble the Saltine crackers, leaving some pieces a little bigger for texture – reserving a few to garnish the top if desired. Start with 1 sleeve of crackers and add more if you feel you need it. Add crackers to the mayonnaise mixture, and fold to gently combine. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. Garnish with reserved tomatoes, crackers, and chives.

Serve immediately. No one wants a soggy cracker salad. 😉

Cracker salad

Print
5 from 2 votes

Cracker Salad

Ingredients

  • 2-3 Large tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 Shallot Minced
  • 1 sleeve saltine crackers sometimes I use 1.5 sleeves of crackers
  • 1-2 Tbsp chives Chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Remove the stem end of the tomatoes, and then halve the tomatoes crosswise. Over a bowl or the sink, give the tomatoes a squeeze so that they release some of their seeds and juice. It’s not necessary to remove all the seeds, but eliminating some of the liquid improves the texture of the salad. Dice tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, and set aside.
  • Combine minced shallot, half of the chives, chopped tomatoes (save a few for garnish), pepper, and mayonnaise, and stir to combine.
  • Crumble Saltine crackers, leaving some pieces a little bigger for texture. Start with 1 sleeve of crushed crackers (salted) and add an additional 1/2 sleeve if you feel you want more crunch. Add crackers to the mayonnaise mixture, and fold to gently combine. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. Garnish with reserved tomatoes and chives, and serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Dukes Mayo’s recipe