I've been going through a phase where I put cherry tomatoes in almost every dish I make so I'm going to have to try some of these recipes! The pesto sounds delicious and very unique, I'm going to try that one tonight.
25 Tantalizing Fresh Tomato Recipes
Photo: kizzzbeth
Tomatoes can serve as an important part of a healthy diet, due in large part to their superior cancer fighting and antioxidant properties (according to Science Daily). Here are 25 tasty tomato recipes to start boosting your body. (See also: 15 Tasty Ways to Enjoy Tomato Juice)
1. Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes
Looking for an interesting alternative to stuffed peppers? These roasted, goat-cheese-stuffed tomatoes from Food and Wine look scrumptious and could be paired successfully with haricot verts and a savory herbed bread.
2. Tomato Carpaccio
I had this once for lunch at the Rustic Roots Winery in British Columbia’s South Okanagan. Basically, you thinly slice heirloom tomatoes and serve them with drizzled olive oil, cracked pepper, and freshly-ground sea salt. This version of tomato carpaccio uses smaller tomatoes to create the same effect with Mexican flair.
3. Fresh Stuffed Cherry Tomato Appetizers
If you’re entertaining during warm weather and are searching for ideas for no-cook meals, you might consider these horseradish stuffed cherry tomatoes for your appetizer selection. They go together quickly, have a short ingredient list, and require no cooking time.
4. Salsa
For a fat free chip dip, it’s tough to beat homemade salsa. Made with fresh tomatoes, spicy seasonings, and other healthy ingredients, it’s a guilt-free topping for anything from tortilla chips and green salad to tacos and burritos.
5. Caprese Salad
I ate my fair share of this stuff when we lived in Italy. It’s a simple summer supper salad that’s rounded out with little more than a great bruschetta and a bottle of wine.
6. Sandwich Ingredient
If you have access to phenomenally flavored tomatoes, enjoy them simply on a well-stacked sandwich. This fresh basil and tomato panini is one example. A gourmet BLT is another.
7. Snacking
Need some healthy strategies for packing a stylish brown bag lunch? Try grape tomatoes with a fun dipping sauce. They are easily dunked with toothpicks and require no advance preparation.
8. Tossed Fresh With Pasta
There’s no law that says you need to serve your pasta with a heavy meat sauce. One of the ways we like to enjoy linguini is tossed with chopped fresh tomatoes and herbs along with a little olive oil and garlic. This fresh tomato pasta from Bella Eats has a similar ingredient list.
9. Bruschetta
It may seem basic to those who prepare it regularly, but bruschetta is an excellent selection for entertaining on a budget. One of the main toppings is chopped fresh tomatoes, and the additional ingredients are minimal. This bruschetta recipe from Weight Watchers keeps the calorie count in check.
10. Tomato Salad
Sure, we all know how to toss some fresh tomatoes into a green salad and incorporate a few add-ins, but how many of us regularly serve salads in which tomatoes take center stage? This tomato salad recipe keeps things simple with tomatoes, red onion, feta, and dill. This stacked heirloom tomato salad with ricotta is certainly impressive.
11. Grilled
If you’re looking for some meat-free selections to serve at your next backyard barbecue, then try threading some multi-colored tomatoes onto a skewer and tossing them onto the grill with a simple herbed basting sauce.
12. Fresh Tomato Tart or Quiche
Baked tarts and quiches are satisfying meals to serve guests and provide a sense of casual elegance due to their overall rustic appearance. This fresh tomato tart from Midwest Living is one such example. To stay ready and keep stress to a minimum, consider making up a batch of this bulk homemade pie crust to have on hand in the freezer. You’ll need only to roll out one of the individually wrapped crusts and fill with your quiche mixture of choice.
13. Fried Green Tomatoes
When you want to sex up your sandwich, few things will take a BLT to the next level like the addition of a fried green tomato with a bit of horseradish mayo. If you want to try this classic southern concoction on its own however, Tall Blond Style offers her own tasty version of fried green tomatoes.
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14. Open-Faced Melts
These open-faced melts from the folks at Better Homes and Gardens use sliced tomatoes in place of bread. There are a couple of things I love about this idea. First, it’s a great carb-cutting idea. Second, it’s easily modified to use with other topping combinations and flavor pairings. For example, the recipe above uses almonds and melted white cheese, but you could use Italian veggie sausage and garlic instead. A Mexican flavor pairing of soy chorizo and vegan taco cheese might also be fun.
15. Pizza Topping
OK, so you might want to try an alternative pizza sauce if you’re going to use fresh tomatoes as your pie topping of choice. Pesto maybe, or a garlicky white sauce. The point is, putting fresh tomatoes on pizza is an excellent way to use extra garden produce.
16. Salad Cup
Slightly bigger than the appetizer idea in the beginning of this article, these salad cups feature larger tomatoes hollowed out and filled with a Mediterranean orzo salad. Great for vegetarian dinner parties or to pair with a surf and turf.
17. Gazpacho
Wishing for an alternative to traditional hot soup? Go with a gazpacho. This authentic gazpacho recipe from Slate makes a healthy addition to your list of tomato recipes and helps you cool down on a hot day.
18. Tomato Jam
I’ll admit, jam isn’t something that has ever come to mind when contemplating new tomato recipes, but this organic tomato jam from Use Real Butter has me thinking otherwise. Alternative jams are great for enjoying artisan bread at dinner time.
19. In Frozen Treats
Granitas and sorbets are a fun way to use produce that many home cooks overlook. This golden tomato sorbet with fresh basil is certainly an inspiring place to start.
20. Fritters
I’m a fritter fan from way back, but these green tomato fritters from Country Living put a twist on the traditional variety with the use of chickpea and rice flours. Great for the gluten free crowd and with an extra shot of protein, too.
21. Homemade Tomato Paste
If kicking it old school and making everything from scratch is your cup of tea, then this homemade tomato paste from Saveur should definitely capture your attention. Even if you don’t want to go through the trouble of making a batch large enough to can, you could try your hand at this as the base for a special recipe.
22. DIY Sundried Tomatoes
The popularity of sundried tomatoes as a gourmet add-in means they aren't cheap. Want to spend less? This homemade version from Big Girls Small Kitchen shows you how.
23. Pesto
Who says pesto has to be green? Certainly not the No Meat Athlete, as this recipe for tomato pesto demonstrates. It’s a nice basic sauce to serve with pasta and a salad in the middle of the week, with your favorite bargain table wine, of course.
24. Fresh Bloody Mary
It should come as no surprise to my regular readers that one of my favorite finds for this roundup of tomato recipes is a cocktail. This fresh bloody Mary featured by the Los Angeles Times blends fresh tomatoes with lemon, garlic, horseradish, and other goodies for a spicy take on the traditional classic.
25. Vinaigrette
I’ve gone on record before regarding my love for inexpensive homemade salad dressing recipes. They’re an affordable way to add powerful bursts of nutrition and flavor to a healthy meal. This tomato vinaigrette from Simply Scratch includes grated tomatoes and shallots for a bit of punch.
What's your favorite way to enjoy a tomato?
