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46 Fresh Tomato Recipes

Celebrate fresh tomato season with salads, salsas, sandwiches, pastas, and more

Sunset
1 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart

You can make this tart with any ripe tomatoes, but a mix of big multicolor heirlooms and smaller varieties looks stunning. To create a crisp, flat surface, partially bake the puff pastry with a cooling rack on top before adding the other ingredients.

Recipe: Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart

2 /46 Photo by Lisa Romerein; written by Amy Machnak

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle

When summer tomatoes are arriving by the truckload, this is fun twist on the classic Caprese.

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle

3 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Seashells with Basil, Tomatoes, and Garlic

Raw tomatoes get juicy as they stand, helping to create a delicious, no-cook sauce.

Recipe: Seashells with Basil, Tomatoes, and Garlic

4 /46

Cold Shrimp and Crab Soup

Ripe summer tomatoes meet a hearty helping of seafood for a soup that’s substantial enough to call dinner. Grill up slices of country bread brushed with olive oil to eat on the side.

Recipe: Cold Shrimp and Crab Soup

5 /46

Tomato and Melon Salad with Scallops and Pink Peppercorns

Using a few colors and different sizes of tomatoes will make this recipe especially beautiful.

Recipe: Tomato and Melon Salad with Scallops and Pink Peppercorns

6 /46 Photo by Lisa Romerein; written by Elaine Johnson

Caramelized Tomato Bruschetta

In a skillet cooked atop the grill, the tomatoes caramelize while keeping a soft shape. This makes for an easy and impressive summer party appetizer.

Recipe: Caramelized Tomato Bruschetta

7 /46 Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Stephanie Dean, Elaine Johnson, and Amy Machnak

Garlic-Basil Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa

Why not try scattering your Caprese salad over grilled chicken? It's a great way to utilize summer produce, not to mention super delicious.

Recipe: Garlic-Basil Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa

8 /46 Photo by Maren Caruso

Fresh Tomato Basil Pizza

This simple pizza was inspired by a trip to Italy—and by a bumper tomato crop. Feel free to use your favorite homemade pizza dough recipe or store-bought dough, as we have here.

Recipe: Fresh Tomato Basil Pizza

9 /46 Photo by Maren Caruso

Easiest Garden Gazpacho

Makes this soup when your summer garden (or, if you don't have an edible garden, tomato season) is at its peak. Chilling melds the flavors.

Recipe: Easiest Garden Gazpacho

10 /46 Photo by Iain Bagwell

Mango and Tomato Salsa

Juicy tomatoes and mangoes make a brilliant pairing in this perfect chip topper.

Recipe: Mango and Tomato Salsa

11 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Rosemary Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Salad

Transform the BLT from a sandwich to a delightful, summery salad.

Recipe: Rosemary Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Salad

12 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Spicy Indian Tomato Shorba

This aromatic soup is traditionally served hot, but we've chilled our version. For a complete meal, pair it with cold rotisserie chicken drizzled with oil and seasoned with salt and ground coriander, and add a few pieces of toasted naan for dipping.

Recipe: Spicy Indian Tomato Shorba

13 /46 Photo by Leo Gong

Tomato Orecchiette with Brie and Basil

Brie cheese acts as a creamy sauce when melted by the warm pasta. Summer is the time for the most flavorful results, when tomatoes and basil are at the height of their season.

Recipe: Tomato Orecchiette with Brie and Basil

14 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey; written by Amy Machnak

Open-face Caprese Sandwiches

Take all the best flavors of summer and serve them on grilled bread for a fresh and summery open-faced sandwich. Eat a few as a whole meal or make a few smaller ones and serve them as appetizers while the grill heats up for bigger items.

Recipe: Open-face Caprese Sandwiches

15 /46 Andrea Gomez

Marinated Heirloom Tomato Salad

Fresh, juicy, and colorful layered tomatoes, drizzled with sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar make for a refreshing salad on a hot summer day.

Recipe: Marinated Heirloom Tomato Salad

16 /46 Christine Schmidhofer

Green Grape Tomato Appetizer

With bright yellow-green clusters that look like bunches of large Muscat grapes, Green Grape tomatoes have a sweet flavor and bright acidity that call for creamy cheeses and rich fillings. A chef’s favorite.

Recipe: Green Grape Tomato Appetizer

17 /46 Iain Bagwell

Garden Bloody Mary

A great cocktail can start just outside your door when you grow almost all the ingredients yourself. Garden Bloody MaryRecipe:
18 /46 Thomas J. Story

Tomato and Herb Salad with Fresh Chive Cheese

This is the salad to make with tomatoes from the farmers' market or your backyard, ideally when they're still warm from the sun. The surprise is the easy homemade cheese.

Recipe: Tomato and Herb Salad with Fresh Chive Cheese

19 /46 Annabelle Breakey

Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad

In the height of summer, you won't find a better side dish for ribs than this deceptively simple combination of peak-season produce. Try bringing it to a party too.

Recipe: Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad

21 /46 Thomas J. Story

Canned Heirloom Tomatoes

For this extra-easy recipe, adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, you just squish raw skinned tomatoes into jars. This cold-pack technique may cause the fruit and liquid to separate a bit during processing, but the results still taste delicious.

It's essential for food safety when working with tomatoes that you acidify them with bottled (not fresh) lemon juice or citric acid, which has a standardized acidity, and that you do not increase the amount of herbs or add any other ingredients.

Recipe: Canned Heirloom Tomatoes

22 /46 Photo by James Carrier

Caprese Melts

Broil these tomato-basil-cheese sandwiches in the oven for a hot meal in minutes.

Recipe: Caprese Melts

23 /46 James Carrier

Tiered Tomato Soup

This tomato soup is almost as fun to look at as it is to eat. Avocados provide the bright green layer.

Recipe: Tiered Tomato Soup

24 /46

Heirloom Tomato and Haricot Vert Salad

It’s nice to use a mix of colors of tomatoes, but make sure they all taste wonderful—flavor is most important.

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato and Haricot Vert Salad

25 /46 Annabelle Breakey

Tomato Salad with Chile and Lime

This salad pleasantly reminds us of fresh salsa, and wouldn't be out of place on a Mexican-themed buffet or on the table with beef fajitas or pork or shrimp tacos.

Recipe: Tomato Salad with Chile and Lime

26 /46 James Carrier

Grilled Salmon in Tomato Water

Serve the salmon in tomato water, topped with creamy mayonnaise blended with fresh basil and lemon juice; offer crusty bread alongside.

Recipe: Grilled Salmon in Tomato Water

27 /46 James Carrier

Garden Tomato Bread

Ripe, juicy tomatoes, along with parsley, sage, thyme, and garlic, give this artisanal-style bread fresh garden flavor.

Biga, is a yeast-based starter, gives the loaf characteristics of bread made with a sourdough starter.

Recipe: Garden Tomato Bread

28 /46 Thomas J. Story

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Chefs from Canada's Okanagan Valley, in British Columbia, are bringing this simple yet delicious soup to your home kitchen. Recipe:Heirloom Tomato Soup
29 /46 James Carrier

Indian-spiced Tomato Soup

Tamarind, cilantro, mint, and cucumber flavor this bowl.

Nigella seeds (also called kalonji) add an oniony flavor. Look for them and for tamarind concentrate at Indian markets and some specialty food stores.

Recipe: Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup

30 /46 Thomas J. Story

Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes, Marjoram, and Ricotta Salata

Berkeley chef and cooking teacher Samin Nosrat cooks down half of the tomatoes into a savory jam, then adds fresh ones at the end bringing you a delicious tomato layered dish. Recipe:Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatoes, Marjoram, and Ricotta Salata
31 /46 Annabelle Breakey

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Whip up a classic sauce of ripe tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic, olive oil and salt.

Make a double (or triple) batch for many easy dinners; this recipe freezes beautifully for up to 6 months.

Recipe: Fresh Tomato Sauce

32 /46

Chicken, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad

For this cool main-dish salad, stir orzo with a ricotta-lemon dressing, cooked chicken, and crisp raw corn.

Recipe: Chicken, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad

33 /46 James Carrier

Rainbow Tomato Bruschetta

Linda Wisner of Portland, Oregon uses a mix of heirloom tomato varieties from her garden for this favorite appetizer.

Recipe: Rainbow Tomato Bruschetta

34 /46 Thomas J. Story

Cucumber-Tomato Salad

At the San Francisco restaurant mini-chain, Souvla, specializing in spit-roasted meats offers this crunchy, refreshing salad, which is an indispensable part of pork souvlaki (grilled-meat pita wraps). Recipe:Cucumber-Tomato Salad
35 /46 James Carrier

Tarragon Crab Salad in Tomato Cups

Serve this easy-to-make, inventive salad with sourdough bread.

Recipe: Tarragon Crab Salad in Tomato Cups

36 /46 James Carrier

Tomato and Sweet Onion Crumble

Leftover bread, tomatoes from the garden, and Walla Walla sweet onions inspired Megan Wentworth to create this easy, savory side dish.

Recipe: Tomato and Sweet Onion Crumble

37 /46 James Carrier

Tomato, Fresh Cheese, and Watercress Salad

This salad is also beautiful with multicolored cherry tomatoes. Any fresh chèvre (goat cheese) works well in this salad.

Recipe: Tomato, Fresh Cheese, and Watercress Salad

38 /46 James Carrier

Ham and Manchego Sandwiches with Tomato Jam

These sandwiches are perfect for a summer picnic. Make and wrap sandwiches just before packing your basket.

Recipe: Ham and Manchego Sandwiches with Tomato Jam

39 /46 James Carrier

Gazpacho Salad

Marsha Stout put together the ingredients for this salad one hot summer day when she wanted something quick and cool.

Recipe: Gazpacho Salad

40 /46 Annabelle Breakey

Tomatoes in Spicy Yogurt Sauce

The tomatoes are warmed, not fully cooked, in the sauce, leaving their softly solid texture intact. Serve them alongside broiled, grilled, or steamed fish and be sure to have plenty of rice to soak up the sauce.

Recipe: Tomatoes in Spicy Yogurt Sauce

41 /46 Photo by Coral Von Zumwalt

Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil Salad

This salad is summer in a bowl. You can cut up the vegetables a little ahead of time, but dress them fairly close to serving or they'll get soupy.

Recipe: Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil Salad

42 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Risotto-Stuffed Tomatoes

The secret to this dish’s success is to use firm tomatoes, such as those sold on the vine. Roast them on a rack near the top of the oven.

Recipe: Risotto-Stuffed Tomatoes

43 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Grilled Halibut with Tomato, Green Olive, and Celery Sauce

Inspired by the flavors of both a Bloody Mary and Italian salsa verde, this easy, bright sauce works with almost any fish.

Recipe: Grilled Halibut with Tomato, Green Olive, and Celery Sauce

44 /46 Thomas J. Story

Grilled Calamari, Watermelon, and Tomato Salad

Chris Cosentino of Cockscomb restaurant in San Francisco is known for adventurous dishes like this one, a meet-up of mild grilled calamari (squid), fresh produce, and exciting seasonings. He grills the calamari over almond wood plus regular charcoal briquets; for the home cook, he recommends easy-to-find mesquite hardwood charcoal. To make the dish as fiery as Cosentino likes it, use 2 tbsp. black pepper and 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper, and don’t seed the serrano chile.

Recipe: Calamari, Watermelon, and Tomato Salad

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Watermelon, Corn, and Tomato Salad

This savory-sweet summer salad is a perfect example of the saying, "If it grows together, it goes together."

Recipe: Watermelon, Corn and Tomato Salad

46 /46 Photo by Annabelle Breakey

Yellow Tomato Lime Sorbet

Refreshing and sweet with a hint of earthiness, this sorbet shows off tomatoes’ fruity side.

Recipe: Yellow Tomato Lime Sorbet