food
By Katherine Gillen
•
Published Sep 1, 2021
Imagine it: A ripe tomato, just picked from the vine and still warm from the sun—summer doesn’t get better than this. To take advantage of your garden (or farmers market) haul, here are 35 fresh tomato recipes to make with the season’s harvest.
When are tomatoes in season?
Summer, natch. While you can buy tomatoes at the grocery store year-round, fresh summer tomatoes—like the ones you’ll find at a local market—are so much more flavorful and juicy, with vibrant flesh and a succulent texture. (In our humble opinion, they’re also the only ones worth buying.) It’s worth noting that cherry tomatoes are a little more reliably tasty throughout the year, since they have less water and a more concentrated flavor to begin with.
What types of tomatoes can you choose from?
Outside of the conventional tomatoes sold at the supermarket, there are countless varietals available. Here are a few major types:
- Heirloom tomatoes come in all shapes, sizes and colors; they’re grown from seeds that have been passed down from season to season and selected for the best characteristics. They’re prized for their superior flavor and variable appearance, and you can find them at a farmers market.
- Cherry tomatoes are small, round and flavorful, not to mention readily available. You can grow them in all kinds of colors but the conventional ones are usually red. Slice them up and add to salads or cook them down into a sweet pasta sauce.
- Grape tomatoes are similar to cherry tomatoes but oval-shaped. They’re very juicy and firm, so they’re great for snacking.
- Beefsteak tomatoes are large, red and round, and the classic choice for burgers and BLTs since they’re sturdy and mild in flavor. But that also means they’re better served raw than cooked.
- Plum tomatoes, aka Roma tomatoes, are bigger than their cherry cousins but less meaty than beefsteaks. Thanks to their thin skins, low water and seed content, they’re excellent in sauces.
What are the health benefits of tomatoes?
Tomatoes really are as nutritious as they are delicious: They’re low in calories and packed with antioxidants like lycopene, plus vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and potassium. According to the USDA, a small tomato contains 16 calories, 0 grams fat, 3 grams carbs, 1 gram protein, 2 grams sugars and 1 gram fiber—so eat up.
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Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
1. Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Corn And Burrata
You can keep your pool parties and popsicles; we’ll be over here slurping up glossy noodles and juicy tomato sauce.
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Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
2. Whipped Feta Dip With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
We’ve found your ultimate summer appetizer: It’s just as elegant as an elaborate charcuterie spread and comes together in all of 30 minutes.
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Lizzie Mayson/The Italian Deli Cookbook
3. Bruschette With Mixed Heritage Tomatoes And Burrata
We could wax poetic about the jewel-like tomatoes for days, but we’d be remiss not to mention their supporting players: garlic-rubbed toast and creamy burrata.
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Elizabeth Van Lierde/Everyday Entertaining
4. Salmon With Pesto And Blistered Tomatoes
Serve this one with plenty of crisp rosé, fresh bread and a green side. It makes for an easy, elegant weeknight dinner.
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Robert Billington/Cuidad de Mexico
5. Heirloom Tomato Salad With Cacao And Agave Dressing
You’ve never had cacao-agave dressing before…but one bite and you’ll never look back.
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Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Heath Goldman
6. Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Way too pretty to eat. (Actually, on second thought…)
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
7. Heirloom Tomato Tart
Psst: Frozen puff pastry is the secret to making this appetizer totally effortless.
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Photo: Nico Schino/Styling: Sarah Copeland
8. Yellow Tomato Gazpacho With Peaches
You can prep everything the night before, then put it all together in less than 10 minutes. It’s one of our go-to summer tomato recipes.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
9. Poblano And Mushroom Tacos With Tomatoes And Goat Cheese
They’re colorful, bursting with flavor, vegetarian and ready in 30 minutes—our kind of taco Tuesday.
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Inspired Entertainment/The Domestic Geek's Meals Made Easy
10. One-pot Tomato Basil Pasta
The best part (beyond having just one pot to clean)? Customizing to your heart’s content.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
11. Creamy Chicken, Corn And Tomato Skillet
A handful of ingredients and just three simple steps are all it takes to make a five-star dinner.
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Anna Jones/The Modern Cook's Year
12. Orzo With Spiced Tomato Sauce And Feta
Spaghetti with red sauce, we love you…but we need something new.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
13. Roasted Tomato Soup
Step away from the canned tomato soup—this meal is so much more satisfying.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
14. Roasted Drumsticks With Tomatoes
News flash: Roast chicken doesn’t need to be deep fried to be absolutely delicious.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
15. Eggs Baked In Tomatoes
Kinda like peas in a pod, no?
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
16. Everything Bagel Tomato Galettes
Brunch has never looked or tasted better.
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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
17. Corn Fritter Caprese With Peaches And Tomatoes
It’s fancy enough that if you put it down at a dinner party, it would elicit oohs and ahhs—but easy enough to make for lunch.
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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
18. Cherry Tomato Galette With Garlic And Herbs
Use store-bought puff pastry so everything comes together in no time.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
19. Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread With Tomatoes And Scallions
It’s a little bit fancier than traditional cornbread, but still just as tasty.
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Aubrie Pick/Great Tastes
20. Tomato Salad With Grilled Halloumi And Herbs
Two words: Grilled cheese—and we don’t mean the sandwich.
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Patricia Niven/Keeping It Simple
21. Tomato-poached Cod With Fresh Herbs
It’s just a few ingredients and comes together in 25 minutes.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
22. Skillet Roast Chicken With Peaches, Tomatoes And Red Onion
This calls for dinner under the stars and a glass of sauvignon blanc.
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What's Gaby Cooking
23. Perfect Meatballs With Cherry Tomato Sauce
Our motto? Don’t settle for anything but the best...especially when it comes to meatballs.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
24. 15-minute Gazpacho With Cucumber, Red Pepper And Basil
No AC? No problem. This sweet and tangy soup doesn’t even require turning on the stove.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
25. Bruschetta Chicken
Oh look, we found your our go-to summer skillet meal.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
26. New Caprese Salad
Few things are more satisfying than a plateful of ripe summer produce and fresh mozzarella cheese.
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Matt Russell/Provençal
27. Black Fig And Tomato Salad
If you seek out the highest quality ingredients, you won’t need to add anything. (That said, it also pairs beautifully with your favorite cheese.)
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Helen Cathcart/Tuscany
28. Zucchini & Tomato Ragù
Presenting ratatouille’s chic Italian cousin: zucchini and tomato ragù.
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Healthyfully Ever After
29. Sweet Corn, Tomato And Zucchini Grain Salad
This dish says “quintessential summer dinner” loud and clear.
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30. Heirloom Tomato And Zucchini Galette With Honey And Thyme
Tasty and gorgeous? Sold.
31. Pasta And No-cook Heirloom Tomato Sauce And Burrata
Without any cooking, this fresh, easy sauce really lets the star ingredient shine.
Photo: Tyler Mauk/Styling: Anne Mauk
32. Corn And Tomato Salad With Feta And Lime
While you could certainly use frozen corn any time of year for this recipe, we highly (highly!) recommend seeking out fresh corn on the cob. It’s sweeter and more flavorful, and will caramelize when it hits the hot skillet.
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33. Skillet Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta With Lemony Breadcrumbs
Don’t you love when dinner looks really impressive, but it’s ready to eat in under an hour? Same.
Abra Berens/Chronicle Books
34. Cauliflower With Roasted Tomatoes, Parsley And Bread Crumbs
An easy, flavorful recipe that multitasks? Sold. We’re making this tonight.
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35. Blt Lettuce Wraps With Avocado Ranch
Who needs bread when you have bacon, tomatoes and avocado ranch?
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Katherine Gillen
Senior Food Editor
Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...
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