43 Tomato Recipes to Make This Summer
Summer is here, which means our newly updated list of tomato recipes is too. We love cooking with all kinds of tomato products, from canned to sun-dried tomatoes, but now is prime time to enjoy the bounty of fresh tomatoes at the farmers market. With varieties like plump heirlooms, Roma tomatoes, bite-sized grape tomatoes, and Sun Golds, we feel compelled to take full advantage—and that means thinking beyond basic salads and sandwich toppers.
Don’t get us wrong, though, there are still salad recipes here. But you’ll also find quick braising sauces for meat, semi-homemade dinners that lean on pantry staples, and creative twists on classics like gazpacho, salsa, ratatouille, and shakshuka. You’ll find those and so much more in this collection of our favorite fresh tomato recipes.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christina Allen1/43Quick Butter-Braised Tomatoes and Dumplings
This tomato recipe is an easy, semi-homemade, one-pan dinner that will surprise you: A one-pound bag of frozen gyoza can take you farther than you might have imagined.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne2/43One-Pan Salmon With Burst Tomatoes
If you’re not a salmon person, a flaky white fish such as cod would work just as well in this tomato dinner recipe.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood3/43Fried Green Tomatoes
Seasoned panko is the secret to the savory, crunchy bite on this Southern classic. Pair the fried tomatoes with the dipping sauce of your choice—though know that you can never go wrong with homemade ranch.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski5/43Always-Great Homemade Salsa
Make this flavorful salsa by broiling tomatoes, serrano chiles (jalapeños work too), onions, and garlic until blistered. Pulse everything together in a food processor until smooth, then grab some chips and start scooping.
Laura Murray6/43BA’s Best Caprese Salad
A simple ball of fresh mozzarella cheese is lovely, but when you want a creamier caprese, look for burrata cheese. It’s essentially mozzarella stuffed with shredded cheese and cream.
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi8/43Cold Noodles With Tomatoes and Peanut Sauce
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood9/43Ratatouille
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman10/43Tomatoes and Feta With Chickpeas
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca12/43Tangy Balsamic Pasta With Sun Gold Tomatoes
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime13/43Tomato Caesar
Is it even a Caesar salad if there’s no romaine lettuce? We say yes, but some modifications are required. For example, to stand up against juicy tomatoes, we made this Caesar dressing variation extra thick.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness14/43Shrimp With Feta and Tomatoes
Somewhere between the viral feta pasta and shrimp scampi lies this cozy dish, featuring plum tomatoes and double-concentrated tomato paste. It’s exactly what we want to eat on those rainy summer nights.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk15/43Tomato and Parmesan Risotto
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua16/43Steak With Preserved-Lemon-Marinated Tomatoes
Dress up New York strip steaks with a light tomato salad, which gets tons of flavor from preserved lemon, soy sauce, and red Thai chiles.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman17/43Chicken Cutlets With Burst-Tomato Sauce
Move over, Chicken Milanese. The jammy garlicky cherry tomatoes that top this crispy breaded chicken cutlets are bright, punchy, and fragrant.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley18/43Gingery Tomato Bruschetta
This isn’t the bruschetta you’d find at old-school Italian restaurants, as ginger, sesame oil, scallions, and soy sauce aren’t exactly ingredients native to the Mediterranean. But all of that umami sure does complement juicy tomatoes. Give it a try.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Emma Ringness19/43Spaghetti With Clams and Sun Gold Tomatoes
There are so many ways to serve pasta with fresh tomatoes that go beyond a basic pomodoro sauce. In this twist on spaghetti alle vongole, Sun Gold tomatoes introduce a juicy bite and lovely orange-yellow pop of color.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Christina Allen20/43Preserved Lemon and Tomato Chicken
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li21/43Cheesy Cornbread With Tomatoes
This tomato-jeweled cornbread recipe—a perfect side dish for any summer gathering—keeps its moisture thanks to plenty of sour cream and crumbled feta cheese mixed into the batter.
Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado22/43Picnic Tomatoes
Some of the best recipes are the ones that let the tomato slices shine, as is the case with this crowd-friendly appetizer. Dress them with nothing more than olive oil, mayonnaise, and a trio of fresh herbs for a simple bite that screams summer.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman23/43Scallops and Chorizo in Tomato Sauce
Sweet, meaty scallops hold their own against spicy, salty chorizo in this high-impact dinner. Serve with crusty bread for sopping.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Alexandra Masillon24/43Summer Vegetable Soup With Pistou
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Christina Allen25/43Tofu Meatballs in Burst Tomato Sauce
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton26/43Tomato Fried Rice
Turn a carton of cherry tomatoes into a speedy weeknight dinner. And here’s a pro tip: To prevent the rice from becoming watery, salt the tomatoes in advance. This will draw out some of their moisture.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams27/43Grilled Buttermilk Chicken With Summer Salad
In this summery grilled chicken recipe, buttermilk powder is the MVP. It offers the same flavor and marinating power of its liquid relative, but without the mess or long soak. We serve the chicken with a quick seasonal veggie salad.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Gözde Eker28/43Tomato Salad With Crème Fraîche and Olive Granola
Served over a swoop of lemony crème fraîche and topped with crunchy, savory granola, this is just the mix-up your rotation of summer salad recipes needs.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman29/43Nuoc Cham Gazpacho
Inspired by the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce called nuoc cham, this cooling no-cook sauce pairs heirloom tomatoes with scallions, chile peppers, lime juice, and fish sauce.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton30/43Cheesy Tomato Hand Pies
This portable pocket of cheesy goodness tastes like your favorite pizza toppings, all wrapped up in a buttery blanket of puff pastry. Intrigued? There are plenty more ideas for puff pastry where this one came from.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca31/43Salsa-Grilled Chicken Thighs
These aren’t your dad’s grilled chicken thighs. They’re marinated in a salsa made with plum tomatoes. (And if that does sound like your dad’s grilled chicken thighs, then go, Dad.)
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley32/43Tomato Toast With Blue Cheese Butter
Think of this less as a recipe and more of a blueprint for how to elevate tomato toast—in this case, with thick heirloom tomato slices—for primetime summer snacking.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro33/43Easy-to-Love Chicken Thighs and Couscous
Two of the season’s all-stars, fresh corn and cherry tomatoes, join forces in this prep-ahead dinner. “We’ll definitely be using it again” commented one reader, referring to the simple pantry-staple marinade. “11/10!”
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk34/43Tomato Galette
It’s not a tomato pie or a tomato tart—it’s a tomato galette, and it may just be the best thing you’ll make all summer. If you’re looking for something similar that’s even easier, try this three-ingredient version.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones35/43Pico de Gallo
This pico de gallo is the best, no-fuss fresh salsa you can make. Use it to top enchiladas, spoon it over queso, or serve alongside a bag of tortilla chips.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime36/43Sheet-Pan Gnocchi
If there’s one tomato recipe that best proves you don’t need to spend a ton of time in the kitchen to create something deeply flavorful, this sheet-pan dinner is it. Simply dress up store-bought gnocchi with cherry tomatoes and a garlicky vinaigrette.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich37/43Yellow Tomato Bloody Mary
Make the most of tomato season by considering the fruit for cocktails too. There’s this sunny twist on a classic Bloody Mary, for example. Looking for an alcohol-free drink instead? Try this tomato-peach juice.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Claire Saffitz38/43Slow-Cooked Cherry Tomatoes With Coriander and Rosemary
Photograph by Isa Zapata39/43Curried Tomato Sandwich
The ingredient list for this just-eclectic-enough tomato sandwich is short and sweet: You’ll need thick-cut sourdough, mayo, curry powder, capers, and ripe heirloom tomatoes. If you consider yourself more of a traditionalist, we’ve got you covered with a classic BLT here.
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li40/43Eggs in Purgatory
Any type of tomatoes will work in this brunch recipe, but cherry tomatoes hold their shape well. If you’ve got a couple of ripe beefsteaks or Romas, though, keep calm, cut them into one-inch pieces, and carry on.
Photo by Elizabeth Cecil42/43Fried-Bread Panzanella With Ricotta and Herbs
We can’t talk about summer tomatoes without talking about panzanella. The trick to avoiding soggy bread is frying it in olive oil. It’s an extra step, sure, but we don’t hear anyone complaining—do you?
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime43/43Vietnamese Tomato Salad