Whether you get your fruits and veggies from a market or your backyard, one of the best summer produce items is tomatoes. Summer is when tomatoes are at their best – deep red, juicy, and intensely flavorful. There are many varieties of tomatoes – Beefsteak, Grape, Cherry, Heirloom, Vine-Ripened, and Roma Plums – and each has its own flavor and personality.
If you grow your tomatoes, you’ll be swamped with them by the end of the summer. Or maybe someone you know will have too many to use and will gift you with a bunch of ripe tomatoes. Farmers’ markets will be selling them by the bushel at really good prices. However you get your tomatoes, make sure to get a lot. Tomatoes are extremely versatile and summer is a perfect time to try new and exciting ways to use them. Check out 10 Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes and 7 Ways to Use Tomatoes to Enhance Your Summer Meals for ideas and recipes.
Nothing tastes as good as sauce or soup made from fresh tomatoes. Of course, salsas, salads, and sandwiches are best when they have fresh, juicy tomatoes in them. Roasted tomatoes have the best intense flavor and piled atop crunchy bread for bruschetta is an appetizer beyond belief. Learn how to dry your tomatoesor make pickled tomatoes. Hollow out tomatoes and stuff your favorite chickpea salad or vegan cheese spread in them. Since tomatoes are only in season for such a short time, it’s a good idea to freeze some so you can enjoy them in the fall and winter months. Ready to get started? Here are 26 succulent recipes using summer tomatoes.
1. Enchilada Fries
Change up the usual fries and ketchup and make these Enchilada Fries instead. Fingerling potatoes are cooked in – and dipped in – a zesty tomato-based enchilada sauce that will have your taste buds dancing.
2. Vegan Cream Cheese Filled Tomatoes With Spices and Green Onions
These Cream Cheese Filled Tomatoes are a tantalizing appetizer. Thick homemade cashew cream cheese, herbs, spices, and green onions come together inside ripe juicy tomatoes for a delicious starter or snack.
Get the Summer Cookbook!
SUMMER: Stunning Plant-Based Recipes to Enjoy All Season When the Sun’s Out is the only cookbook you need this summer! This cookbook will be your savior this summer. You can now enjoy your mouth-watering meals without spending hours prepping in a hot kitchen. With 75 plant-based, refreshing recipes featuring classic summer flavors, this will be your guide to breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner, with some cooling indulgences! You’ll also find plenty of BBQ and grill recipes that are guaranteed to impress everyone at your next summer barbeque outing! This cookbook features recipes like BBQ Chickpea Sliders with Pineapple Slaw, Watermelon Salad with Fried Tofu and Basil-Lime Dressing, Dragon Fruit Lemonade Frappé, and a Nectarine and Mango Summer Tart that will make your summer a memorable one!
3. Vegan and Gluten-Free Tomato and Garlic Foccacia
Making foccacia is similar to making pizza but without the rolling and flipping. This Tomato and Garlic Foccacia is delicious and easy to make. The hardest part of making it is learning to spell foccacia!
4. Fried Green Tomatoes with Red Pepper Aioli
Summer just isn’t complete without Fried Green Tomatoes. These are crispy on the outside and tangy on the inside from spicy Cajun seasoning. Dip them in the red pepper aioli while you watch the classic movie.
5. Black and White Sesame Crusted Tofu Over Peach and Tomato Salad With Balsamic Glaze
When fresh summer white peaches and ripe tomatoes join forces, great things are about to happen. This incredible Peach and Tomato Salad serves as the base under slightly-spicy black and white sesame-crusted tofu. An elegant dish for your sophisticated guests that is both impressive and oh-so-simple!
6. Hearty Lentil Broccoli Bolognese
Hearty lentils, walnut, and mushroom-filled tomato sauce blankets a bed of pasta. This Bolognese Sauce is so tasty, satisfying, and filling. Add broccoli to get even more veggies in and serve over any pasta with a side salad and some toasty bread. Perfection!
7. Rustic Pesto and Heirloom Tomato Tart
Heirloom tomatoes are some of the most impressively colorful fruits out there. They range from dark purple to sunshine yellow. Use them to make this beautiful Rustic Pesto and Heirloom Tomato Tart.
8. The Ultimate Summer Gazpacho
Chilled soups are perfect for summer like this Ultimate Summer Gazpacho. Made with fresh tomatoes, it’s light, fresh, and tangy.
9. Cherry Tomato Bites
The next time you’re at the farmers market, pick up some beautiful, multi-colored heirloom tomatoes. These Cherry Tomato Bites are filled with a chickpea spread and topped with pretty green scallions for a colorful and yummy appetizer.
10. Roasted Tomato and Herb Quiche
This Roasted Tomato and Herb Quiche is the perfect thing to make when you want to make someone feel special. Fresh herbs and tomatoes shine in this summery breakfast, brunch, or anytime dish.
11. Portobello Mushroom BLT Sandwich
The “T” in this Portobello Mushroom BLT stands for tomato but it could also stand for terrific, tasty, and awesome. The Portobello mushroom bacon is so good, this sandwich will disappear in no time.
12. Grilled ‘Cheese’ and Tomato Soup Sandwich
You can have a vegan grilled cheese with your tomato soup or you can have a grilled cheese that has tomato soup in it. This Grilled “Cheese” and Tomato Soup Sandwich combines the classic pairing into a thick, savory spread you’ll love.
13. Harira Soup With Hummus Pitas
This Harira Soup is a tomato-based Moroccan recipe. It’s so hearty, you may want to call it a stew. Whatever you call it, you’ll want a second bowl of this filling, spicy soup.
14. Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Rollups
These Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Rollups are sure to hit the spot! They have spinach and artichoke filling with a creamy tofu-based white Alfredo sauce. The homemade marinara sauce makes this dish extra special.
15. Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Burst Cherry Tomato Spaghetti
This Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Burst Cherry Tomato Spaghetti is an easy, hands-off meal that’s done in 45 minutes top to bottom. Sweet, roasted Brussels sprouts and tart, oven-burst cherry tomatoes tangle with spaghetti in a cheesy, buttery sauce.
16. Tomato Rice Patties
Don’t be intimidated by leftovers. They can become your greatest inspiration! These Tomato Rice Patties are no exception. Two types of tomatoes turn leftovers into an amazing new meal.
17. Cheezy Tomato Soup
Is there anything better than a simple, fresh tomato soup made from scratch? We think not. This Cheezy Tomato Soup uses noni to give it a sharp cheesy taste. It’s pure comfort in a bowl.
18. Vegan Holishkes (Stuffed Cabbage)
These Vegan Holishkes are steamed cabbage stuffed with “beefy” crumbles, brown rice, and spices. They are cooked in a rich tomato sauce that’s sweet, spicy, and delicious.
19. Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna With Cashew Herb Cheese
This Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna is going to drive you insane. Fresh zucchini and tomatoes are layered with creamy cashew herb cheese for an incredible raw dish that is light and decadent at the same time.
20. Triple Threat Barbecue Sauce
This Triple Threat Barbecue Sauce got its name because it’s made with an abundance of hot pepper. It’s a tangy sauce made with tomatoes, molasses, and spices. Slather it on anything and everything!
21. Oscar Night Russet Potato Croquettes With Roasted Tomato Salsa and Cheater Vegan Cheese
It doesn’t have to be Oscar night to enjoy these fun Russet Potato Croquettes with Roasted Tomato Salsa and Cheater Vegan Cheese. The roasted tomatoes have such intense flavor, they steal the show.
22. Raw Veggie Paella
Here’s a raw twist on the classic Spanish dish. This Raw Veggie Paella uses celeriac instead of rice and incorporates lots of veggies including fresh cherry tomatoes for a light and flavorful dish.
23. Pasta With White Beans and Tomatoes Two Ways
There is no easier, more delicious way to enjoy fresh, ripe tomatoes than prepared simply and tossed with a healthy portion of pasta. Easy to throw together, this Pasta with White Beans and Tomatoes Two Ways showcases tomatoes in two mouthwatering states.
24. Homestyle ‘Meaty’ Tomato Sauce With Lentils and Walnuts
This Homestyle “Meaty” Tomato Sauce is a universal crowd-pleaser. Earthy and hearty, this is a go-to sauce for spaghetti, as a filling for vegan lasagna, or spooned over steamed veggies.
25. Breakfast Mini Muffins With Kale and Sundried Tomatoes
If you like savory breakfasts, you’ll love these Breakfast Mini Muffins. The sun-dried tomatoes give a tangy and salty zing which complements the earthy kale. You won’t press the snooze alarm knowing these are waiting for you.
26. Seitan Kebabs With Sangria Tomato Salad
These Seitan Kebabs are amazing with a flavorful marinade. They pair perfectly with a tomato salad filled with fruit soaked in sangria. Summer just got seriously delicious.
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