What can I make with tomatoes?
Tomatoes deserves better than being boiled as a side. These recipes make tomatoes the centre of the plate, and the notes below cover roasting temperature, pan space, and seasoning order.
12 recipes with 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
How to get the most flavour out of tomatoes
- 1Cut into even pieces so everything finishes at the same moment.
- 2Roast at 425F on a preheated sheet pan for caramelised edges, or sear hard in a skillet if you want it fast.
- 3Do not crowd the pan; steam is the enemy of browning. Use two trays if you have to.
- 4Season in layers: salt before cooking, then acid and fat after, so the tomatoes tastes finished rather than plain.
What goes well with tomatoes
Tomatoes is at its best with olive oil, garlic, lemon, parmesan, chili flakes and flaky salt. Any two or three of those, plus tomatoes, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing tomatoes
Store tomatoes unwashed - moisture is what causes rot. Leafy types last longest wrapped loosely in a towel inside a bag; roots prefer somewhere cool and dark, not the fridge door. Anything starting to soften is ideal for soups, stocks, and roasting.
Substituting tomatoes
If you are out of 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.
Tomatoes recipes: common questions
- What can I make with tomatoes and not much else?
- Plenty. With 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 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 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 tomatoes?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover 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.
- Are these tomatoes recipes vegetarian-friendly?
- Many are, and the vegetarian and vegan collections filter the whole library down to recipes with no meat or no animal products at all. In the chat you can also say "vegan" or "no dairy" and every suggestion will respect it.