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    Home » Blog » Vegetables

    What to Do with Fresh Tomatoes

    Published: Apr 25, 2023 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A photo collage shows 4 delicious tomato recipes.

    Learn what to do with fresh tomatoes for easy, healthy, delicious meals the whole family will love. You can use cherry tomatoes or big slices of fresh tomato to make any meal even more tasty.

    A strainer is filled with raw cherry tomatoes in shades of yellow and red.

    We are heading into my favorite time of year -- fresh tomato season!

    I've already spotted big, gorgeous piles of heirloom tomatoes and pints of cherry tomatoes on the farmer's market tables near our home.

    For the next several months, I'll be adding fresh tomato to almost every meal. Often they are used fresh and raw but sometimes I will cook them for tossing with pasta and other stir fry dishes.

    No matter how you prep them, tomatoes are a nutritious part of family dinner that make everything taste better!

    Jump to:
    • Put a Tomato Slice On a Burger
    • Make a Classic BLT Sandwich
    • Make Caprese Salad
    • Top a Crostini
    • Top a Tomato Pizza
    • Toss Tomatoes into Pasta
    • Add Tomatoes to Eggs
    • Add Fresh Tomatoes to a Salad
    • Make a Tomato Salad
    • Dunk Tomatoes in a Dip
    • Add Tomatoes to Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
    • Roast Cherry Tomatoes
    • 💬 Comments

    Put a Tomato Slice On a Burger

    The most obvious thing to do with a fresh tomato is to slice it and add it to a sandwich or top a burger.

    I love to add fresh arugula or fresh basil leaves and a slice of mozzarella or provolone cheese, but a slice of tomato goes with just about any burger you've got planned.

    • An oven baked turkey burger sits on an open faced bun and is topped with fresh tomato slices, green arugula leaves, and a melted slice of cheese. Tater tots sit next to it for a side dish.
      Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers in the Oven
    • A bacon cheddar burger has layers of fresh tomato and fresh basil and sits next to a serving of potato chips.
      Candied Bacon and Basil Cheeseburgers

    Make a Classic BLT Sandwich

    Classic BLT sandwiches are an essential summer recipe for excellent reason.

    When tomatoes are at their peak, I love to slice thick, juicy heirloom tomatoes and layer them with peppered bacon and crispy lettuce on toasted Italian bread.

    Fresh tomatoes are featured in several of my easy finger sandwich recipes, too.

    • A perfect BLT sandwich sits on a white plate.
      Classic BLT Sandwich
    • A tiered sandwich tray has several finger sandwiches on display.
      30 Delicious Finger Sandwich Recipes

    Make Caprese Salad

    One of the biggest summer treats is a shimmering platter of caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and a balsamic vinegar glaze.

    You could serve this as an appetizer, side dish, or even make a whole meal out of it with a few of my serving tricks:

    • A sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and balsamic glaze on a plate with a fork.
      Caprese Salad {3 Fun Ways to Serve It}

    Top a Crostini

    Chop up a rainbow assortment of cherry tomatoes and use them to sprinkle over savory crostini appetizers or even make a homemade bruschetta.

    You could even top a crostini with my chicken pesto sandwich filling and then sprinkle the tomatoes over the top.

    • Homemade toasted crostini slices sit on a cookie sheet fresh from the oven. They are golden brown.
      How to Make Crostini
    • A plate of roast beef crostini with horseradish cream and cherry tomatoes.
      Roast Beef Crostini

    Top a Tomato Pizza

    Make a homemade fresh tomato pizza with mozzarella cheese and a brush of olive oil. Or chop up fresh tomatoes and sprinkle them on this crescent roll veggie pizza appetizer.

    • A veggie pizza has been sliced and served with a small spatula.
      Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza
    • Pizza dough from the bread machine has been rolled out into a circle and is ready for toppings.
      Bread Maker Pizza Dough

    Toss Tomatoes into Pasta

    Cherry tomatoes are my favorite vegetable to add to pesto, olive oil, or butter based pasta dishes.

    You don't even need to cook the tomatoes to make this fresh tomato pasta toss.

    • A white bowl is filled with thin spaghetti and fresh cherry tomatoes and arugula. Parmesan is sprinkled over the top.
      Fresh Tomato Pasta Toss
    • Bow tie pasta is tossed with roasted broccolini, roasted tomatoes, and chicken meatballs.
      Roasted Broccolini Pasta Toss
    • A bowl of cheese tortellini with pesto sauce and roasted tomatoes.
      Cheese Tortelloni with Pesto {3 Ingredients}

    Add Tomatoes to Eggs

    If you're making scrambled eggs, stir in some diced tomatoes right before they're finished cooking for added flavor. You could fold them into an omelet, too.

    Use thick slices of tomato in my easy eggs benedict with deli ham and scrambled eggs.

    I love to add a slice of tomato when I make deviled egg salad sandwiches.

    Or for a low-carb, high protein lunch, make a snack tray with fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced hardboiled eggs, and a slice or two of cheese.

    • An egg salad sandwich sits on a blue plate.
      Deviled Egg Salad
    • Easy Eggs Benedict {20 Simple Variations}

    Add Fresh Tomatoes to a Salad

    Slice cherry tomatoes in half and sprinkle them over your favorite fresh green salads.

    They are especially wonderful with my spicy buffalo chicken salad.

    • A salad spinner basket holds freshly washed lettuce leaves.
      Caesar Salad Dressing & 3 Variations
    • A bowl filled with green lettuce, topped with buffalo chicken salad, fresh tomatoes, and drizzled with buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing sits in front of a serving bowl of lettuce with mason jars of dressing on the side.
      Buffalo Chicken Salad
    • A big salad bowl shows the flaked leftover salmon, fresh blueberries, halved tomatoes, and green lettuce leaves.
      Summer Salad with Leftover Salmon

    Make a Tomato Salad

    Or make a salad entirely of tomatoes!

    My marinated tomatoes can be made with colorful cherry tomatoes or you could chop a variety of tomatoes into large chunks to toss with the marinade instead.

    I serve this as an easy side dish at the table, it is great at room temperature. But you could also sprinkle these marinated tomatoes over grilled chicken or fish.

    • A big bowl of red and yellow cherry tomatoes have been sliced in half and marinated in an Italian dressing.
      Marinated Tomatoes

    Dunk Tomatoes in a Dip

    Make a snack tray with fresh cherry tomatoes and a cup of one of these yummy dips.

    You could add crispy pita crackers or homemade croutons if you want to add crunch.

    • A mason jar filled with homemade blue cheese dressing sits in front of a bowl full of lettuce.
      Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing
    • Homemade sour cream horseradish sauce in a mason jar on a plate next to roast beef and cherry tomatoes for dipping.
      Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce
    • A blue bowl filled with homemade tzatziki sauce has fresh cherry tomatoes, pita chips for dipping, and a sprig of fresh dill.
      Tzatziki Sauce for Gyros
    • A container of homemade taco dip has a spicy cream cheese filling and is topped with shredded cheese and lettuce. A serving spoon has scooped a portion out.
      Spicy Taco Dip

    Add Tomatoes to Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

    Embrace the southern tradition of making grilled pimento cheese sandwiches with thick slices of fresh tomatoes!

    (Or just add fresh tomato to your own favorite grilled cheese sandwich.)

    • A bowl of homemade pimento cheese is served on a plate with butter crackers.
      Homemade Pimento Cheese Spread

    Roast Cherry Tomatoes

    Inevitably, when you buy tomatoes as often as I do this time of year, you might discover your cherry tomatoes are starting to become a little overripe.

    The perfect solution in this case is to make a pan of roasted cherry tomatoes. We love them so much that I often do this on purpose for adding to pasta dishes, but it is a great way to ensure you don't have a single fresh tomato go to waste!

    • The roasted cherry tomatoes have been cooked on a large baking sheet.
      Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
    A photo collage shows 4 delicious tomato recipes.

    More Vegetable Recipes

    • A white bowl is filled with sliced zucchini squash covered in cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.
      Old Fashioned Squash Casserole
    • A white baking dish has baked zucchini gratin with breadcrumbs on top.
      Grated Zucchini Gratin
    • A serving of fried green tomatoes has a bowl of pimento cheese for topping.
      Southern Fried Green Tomatoes {Oven or Air Fryer}
    • A white bowl of roasted potatoes.
      Oven Roasted Mini Potatoes and Onions

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

    More about me →

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