Our Best Tomato Recipes Are a Glorious Way to Celebrate the Season
Enjoy the summer farmers market star in sandwiches, pastas, and even dessert.
Don’t look twice. By the time you turn your head, the creaking trellis might collapse from the weight of plump, juicy tomatoes. Watching the savory fruit kaleidoscope on the vine as they ripen from green to yellow, purple, and red is a triumph for the home gardener. But tomatoes grow faster than kids; if you don’t savor them while you have the chance, this summer’s bounty will be gone before you know it. Luckily, we have all the tomato recipes you need to make the most of your harvest this season.
These days, tomatoes are available year-round—but those bland supermarket varieties pale in comparison to peak-season versions. These New World nightshades are, botanically speaking, berries, which explains their sweet juiciness. But culinarily, they are most often used as a vegetable, and the ingredient lends an intense umami note to everything from simple salads to chilled soups.
Though tomato season is several months long, it never feels quite long enough. To preserve their flavor, turn these prized orbs into jams and sauces, then jar or freeze for ladling over pizzas, pastas, and breads deep into the dreariest winter months. From burrata-tomato sandwiches to gazpacho, here are our favorite ways to use summer tomatoes.
Heirloom and Cherry Tomato Salad
This tomato salad with shallot vinaigrette from Alice Waters is our platonic ideal of the dish. Get the recipe for Heirloom and Cherry Tomato Salad »
Southern Tomato Pie
Tangy, buttery, and bursting with tomato flavor. Get the recipe for Southern Tomato Pie »
Estela’s Tomato Sandwich
For Estela chef Ignacio Mattos, the best tomato sandwich is open-faced and pairs ripe summer tomatoes with rich, creamy Fromager d’Affinois cheese instead of the usual mayo. Get the recipe for Estela’s Tomato Sandwich »
Seafood Pasta with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Mint
Cooling fresh mint tempers the heat of the spicy tomato sauce in this bountiful seafood pasta. Get the recipe for Seafood Pasta with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Mint »
Roasted Tomato and Grape Toasts with Fava Bean Puree
Dried fava bean purée is served all over Puglia, typically with cooked bitter greens and fried or toasted bread. Giorgia Goggi adds lemon juice and miso, and uses it as a base for crostini. Leftovers are an excellent dip for raw vegetables. Get the recipe for Roasted Tomato and Grape Toasts with Fava Bean Puree »
Tomato Confit
In this preservation method borrowed from the French, tomatoes are slow-cooked with olive oil, garlic, and herbs into a luxuriously rich condiment. Get the recipe for Tomato Confit »
Yellow Tomato Soup with Lamb Meatballs, Yogurt, and Mint
“Spices have always fascinated me. I collect them from all over the world,” says Giorgia Goggi, who accents this soup with Middle Eastern sumac and Indian garam masala. If you can’t find fresh yellow tomatoes, red will work just as well. Get the recipe for Yellow Tomato Soup with Lamb Meatballs, Yogurt, and Mint »
Canned Sardine, Tomato, and Caper Sandwiches
Cherry tomatoes are tossed with canned sardines here, along with fresh oregano, olives, capers, and a red wine vinaigrette. The whole thing is layered with thin slices of heirloom tomato between slabs of focaccia. Get the recipe for Canned Sardine, Tomato, and Caper Sandwiches »
Cherry Tomato Tarte Tatin
Juicy cherry or grape tomatoes are coated in a light caramel to make the “topping” for this tart, but the whole thing is baked upside down in a skillet. Do most of the steps to prepare it in advance—make the zucchini paste and defrost the puff pastry a few hours or up to two days ahead—but be sure to serve the tart just after baking, turning it out from the pan in front of guests. It tastes best while the caramel is still runny and the warm, topmost layer of dough has a custardy consistency. Get the recipe for Cherry Tomato Tarte Tatin »
Oven-Stewed Tomatoes
Three types of tomatoes result in a bouquet of flavors and textures, from sweet to burst-in-your-mouth cherries fragrant with Italian herbs. Get the recipe for Oven-Stewed Tomatoes »
Strawberry, Watermelon, and Tomato Gazpacho
This refreshing summer soup, adapted from La Guarida restaurant in Havana, is meant to be served lightly chilled. Olive oil, garlic, pink peppercorn, and smoky grilled shrimp round out the sweetness from the strawberries, watermelon, and tomatoes. Get the recipe for Strawberry, Watermelon, and Tomato Gazpacho »
Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Panzerotti
Italian panzerotti are semi-circular pockets of bread that are usually filled with cheese, deep-fried, and eaten hot. SAVEUR intern Suhashini Sarkar first tried these in Milan; her sister has since developed her own recipe that uses a sauce made from fresh tomatoes. It’s reminiscent of pizza, but deep-fried and portable. Get the recipe for Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Panzerotti »
Green Tomato Chow Chow
Florence Jackson, the author’s grandmother and a Nova Scotia native, made use of shoulder-season produce to prepare this tangy relish. It is often served with meat and fish dishes, where it adds a bright note of sweetness. While chow-chow can be used immediately, its flavor improves with time. Consider making a large batch and putting it up in properly sterilized canning jars to last through the winter months. Get the recipe for Green Tomato Chow Chow »
Smoked Tomato Soup
In this twist on the classic comforting soup, tomatoes are smoked on the stove top before being reduced with red wine and puréed. Get the recipe for Smoked Tomato Soup »
Summer Panzanella
Sweet, ripe, summer tomatoes dressed in olive oil, vinegar, and basil are tossed with garlicky, toasted bread cubes to soak up the delicious juices in this classic Italian salad. Get the recipe for Summer Panzanella »
Burrata and Marinated Cherry Tomato Sandwiches
Crusty bread sops up creamy burrata and juicy marinated tomatoes in this pleasantly messy sandwich. Get the recipe for Burrata and Marinated Cherry Tomato Sandwiches »
Cherry Tomato and Cherry Cobbler
Cherries and cherry tomatoes bake down together into a savory-sweet layer under a sweet biscuit topping in this recipe from chef Amanda Cohen. Get the recipe for Cherry Tomato and Cherry Cobbler »
Provencal Vegetable Tian
This classic Provençal version is made with alternating rows of sliced zucchini, eggplant, and tomato. The flavors meld as the vegetables cook together, somewhat like ratatouille. Seasoned simply with thyme, garlic, and good fruity olive oil, the dish is best served at room temperature. Get the recipe for Provencal Vegetable Tian »
Watermelon Tomato Salad
Chef Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner, a restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, serves a version of this refreshing dish during the late summer. Smith says he developed the salad after paying a visit to a few of his former cooks in Mexico, where he discovered a range of dishes that melded sweet, spicy, and sour flavors. Get the recipe for Watermelon Tomato Salad »
Summer Tomato and Herb Dip
Your glut of garden tomatoes just found their new home: stirred into caramelized honey and a host of herbs and spices. Get the recipe for Summer Tomato and Herb Dip »
Basque Seafood Stew
Hearty “bouillabasque”—Darroze’s tongue-in-cheek name for a Basque-style bouillabaisse, in which the fish is cooked separately and then added to a rich, reduced seafood-and-tomato stock—perfectly marries the culinary cornerstones of southwest France: duck fat, seafood, and armagnac. You can grill the fish on grates or a plancha, in the Spanish style, but a stovetop solution works just as well. Serve with aïoli, rouille, or any garlicky mayonnaise, along with some crusty bread. Get the recipe for Basque Seafood Stew »
Tomato Salad with Green Beans and Basil
Tearing the basil leaves for this simple salad releases their aroma while preventing the bruising that results from chopping. Get the recipe for Tomato Salad with Green Beans and Basil »
Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Fennel Dressing
Tomatoes and cucumbers are a classic combination. Here, Eli Sussman of the Sussman Brothers modernizes the summer staple with heirloom varieties of the titular ingredients and brings them together with a caramelized fennel–lemon dressing. Get the recipe for Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Fennel Dressing »
Marinated Tomatoes with Mint
For a slightly—just slightly—more elaborate dish that showcases the sweet juices of summer tomatoes, chef Chris Fischer dresses them with olive oil and vinegar, creating a vinaigrette seemingly out of nothing. Get the recipe for Marinated Tomatoes with Mint »
Summer Polenta with Chimichurri and Tomatoes
Chimichurri and a tomato-onion salad are perfect for offsetting the richness of creamy polenta. Get the recipe for Summer Polenta with Chimichurri and Tomatoes »
Chilean Tomato and Pepper Sauce (Pebre)
Distantly related to Mexican salsa, pebre is an emulsified blend of tomatoes, peppers, and vinegar traditionally served with bread rolls in Santiago. This recipe, from chef Rodolfo Guzmán of Boragó in Santiago, Chile, uses native green ajè cristal chiles, but you can substitute banana peppers to mimic their very mild, floral heat. Get the recipe for Chilean Tomato and Pepper Sauce (Pebre) »
Eritrean Spicy Tomato Bread Salad with Yogurt (Fata)
In the Horn of Africa, they serve a version of panzanella tossed not with fresh tomatoes, but with a rich, spicy tomato stew. Crusty bread soaks up the juices and cooling yogurt provides contrast and sweet relief. Get the recipe for Eritrean Spicy Tomato Bread Salad with Yogurt (Fata) »
Gazpacho Andaluz
Though there are many versions of gazpacho, the traditional, tomato-based Andalusian variety is the one you want on a hot afternoon or warm evening. Get the recipe for Gazpacho Andaluz »
Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta
Roasting garlic scapes with tomatoes and red onion sweetens them and enriches their flavor; toss them with pasta, lemon juice, and arugula for a simple meal. Get the recipe for Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta »
Herbed Tomato Tart
Made with ripe cherry tomatoes and fragrant herbs, this tart is both delicious and beautiful. Get the recipe for Herbed Tomato Tart »
Caprese Salad
A dish as simple as caprese salad demands the best ingredients: Use firm, in-season tomatoes, the freshest burrata, and dress with pristine olive oil and top-quality balsamic vinegar. Get the recipe for Caprese Salad »
Caprese Salad with Fried Capers and Basil
Briny and slightly crispy fried capers punch up the flavor of this classic Italian tomato and mozzarella salad. Get the recipe for Caprese Salad with Fried Capers and Basil »
Tadashi’s Grilled Tomatoes
Ripe tomatoes develop umami-rich flavor when grilled with a soy sauce marinade. Mitsuba, a Japanese relative of parsley, lends a mild cilantro-like freshness. Get the recipe for Tadashi’s Grilled Tomatoes »
Tomato Sandwich
Our idea of the perfect summer sandwich? Two thin slices of good toast, mayo, and a couple juicy slices of tomato. Get the recipe for Tomato Sandwich »
Salmorejo
Salmorejo, gazpacho’s richer, deeper cousin, is a cool, creamy soup typically topped with chopped hard-boiled eggs and salty prosciutto or Iberian ham; omit the pork to make it vegetarian. Get the recipe for Salmorejo »
Tomato Cake with Smoked Feta Cream and Marinated Tomatoes
In this recipe from Amanda Cohen, chef-owner of New York City’s Dirt Candy, tomato powder lends flavor to this savory-sweet cake, which gets topped with smoked feta cream and cherry tomato halves. To watch Cohen make the cake step-by-step, check out this video. Get the recipe for Tomato Cake with Smoked Feta Cream and Marinated Tomatoes »
Spiced Lamb Patties with Tomato and Onion (Kefta bil Sayniyeh)
Lebanese seven-spice powder—a mix of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek, ginger, and nutmeg known as baharat—flavors the lamb patties as well as the tomatoes in this richly spiced dish. Get the recipe for Spiced Lamb Patties with Tomato and Onion (Kefta bil Sayniyeh) »
Grape Salsa
Juicy red grapes are the star of a sweet and lightly spicy fresh salsa made with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and honey. Get the recipe for Grape Salsa »
