What can I make with cherry tomatoes?
Cherry Tomatoes is not only for dessert - it balances salt, chilli, and fat in savoury cooking too. Below are recipes using cherry tomatoes, then ideas for fruit that is slightly past its best.
12 recipes with cherry tomatoes
Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and a slab of feta with olive oil.
Mediterranean10m4
Greek Salad
Crisp cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta with oregano dressing.
Mediterranean10m2
Wedge Salad
Chilled iceberg wedge with creamy blue cheese and bacon.
American10m4Zucchini Noodles
Spiralized zucchini tossed with pesto and cherry tomatoes.
American15m4Classic Ham Sandwich
A simple yet satisfying sandwich filled with ham and served on toasted bread.
American15m2
Ground Beef Tacos
Classic American-style hard shell beef tacos.
Mexican20m4
Cobb Salad
Chopped salad with chicken, egg, avocado, bacon, and blue cheese.
American20m4Tabbouleh
Bright parsley and bulgur salad with lemon and mint.
Middle Eastern20m4
Fattoush
Crunchy pita salad with sumac and pomegranate molasses.
Middle Eastern20m4
Huevos Rancheros
Fried eggs on tortillas with smoky ranchero salsa.
Mexican25m2Sloppy Joes
Sweet-tangy saucy ground beef piled on soft buns.
American25m6Quinoa Salad
Bright bowl of quinoa, cucumber, tomato, and herbs.
Mediterranean25m4
Sweet and savoury ways to use cherry tomatoes
- 1Raw: a squeeze of citrus and a pinch of salt makes cherry tomatoes taste noticeably brighter.
- 2Roasted or pan-caramelised with a little butter, the sugars concentrate and it turns into a dessert on its own.
- 3Blended into a dressing or sauce, cherry tomatoes balances chilli, vinegar, and salty cheese.
- 4Overripe fruit is not waste - it is the best candidate for baking, smoothies, and quick compotes.
What goes well with cherry tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes is at its best with cinnamon, honey, yogurt, lemon, butter and oats. Any two or three of those, plus cherry tomatoes, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing cherry tomatoes
Ripen cherry tomatoes on the counter, then move it to the fridge to slow things down. Keep it away from bananas and apples, which release ethylene and speed everything nearby toward overripe. Freeze pieces on a tray for smoothies.
Substituting cherry tomatoes
If you are out of cherry tomatoes, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Cherry Tomatoes recipes: common questions
- What can I make with cherry tomatoes and not much else?
- Plenty. With cherry tomatoes plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest cherry tomatoes recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute cherry tomatoes?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover cherry tomatoes?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover cherry tomatoes without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.