Tomato Recipes

I grew up in the Mediterranean and there’s nothing like the excitement of seeing the first tomatoes of the season in the market. As the summer progresses, there’s so many varieties of tomatoes hitting the shelves plus the price goes down! I got in the habit when I lived back home to cook with fresh tomatoes anytime I could.

That led to sooo many tomato recipes, here are some of my favorites you can use throughout the summer! Not only you can use the tomatoes as you make salads, soups or snacks but you can also make sauces and salsas to preserve for later on in the year! Use proper canning techniques and those jars will last you months in the pantry:).

Tomato Salad with Parsley Marinade

Tomato salad on a platter, covered in a parsley marinade. There's fresh tomatoes and parsley in the background. — **Mediterranean Tomato Salad with Fresh Parsley and Garlic Marinade**

I love this tomato salad, it’s so simple and beautiful. Slice up ripe but firm tomatoes, add some salt to them while you prepare the marinade then top off the tomatoes with the parsley/garlic marinade and serve family style! Get Recipe: Tomato Salad

Of course you can use tomatoes in other salads like Greek Salad, Farro Salad, Tabouli etc just to add more variety to your meals.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Chickpeas

A serving on a round white plate of roasted tomato soup, garnished with basil and cream. — **Roasted tomato soup with chickpeas** – **©Sonila Zarate**

We love this roasted tomato soup with chickpeas in my house. My kids ask for a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it while I prefer some toasted bread to accompany the soup! It’s really a great bowl of comfort, plus it has extra fiber and protein because of the chickpeas!! Get Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup with Chickpeas

Marinated Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

A piece of toast bread, on a plate topped with marinated cherry tomatoes! — **Marinated Cherry Tomatoes – ©Sonila Zarate**

These marinated cherry or grape tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for few days. You can serve them over toast, as a side dish to a chicken and rice dish or to top off any meals with some bright, fresh ingredients. Get Recipe: Marinated Tomatoes

Tomato and Garlic Confit

Tomatoes confit on a baking dish just finished cooking. There's a ladle bringing some of them still with stems on out of the oil for better view. — **Cherry Tomatoes Confit – ©Sonila Zarate**

Have you ever tried garlic confit? You can elevate that one level up by making tomatoes and garlic confit!! It’s seriously a fantastic way to preserve lots of tomatoes with garlic and olive oil. Get Recipe: Tomato Garlic Confit

Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted small tomatoes shown still in a baking tray. — **Roasted Cherry or Grape Tomatoes – ©Sonila Zarate**

If you have ever watched Ina Garten roast plum tomatoes in Food Network, you might wonder if you can roast other types of tomatoes. I tend to roast cherry or grape tomatoes because they taste great over pasta with some olive oil and freshly grated cheese!! Sooo Good! Get Recipe: Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Shrimp in Roasted Tomato Sauce

Skillet with quinoa pasta and shrimp tomato sauce — **Shrimp Tomato Pasta Sauce in White Wine – ©Sonila Zarate**

Shrimp and pasta are some of our favorite dinners and they’re easy and fast for me to cook so that’s why I combined this tomato sauce with shrimp and pasta. Such a great dinner, easy and looks so pretty too! Get Recipe: Shrimp Pasta in Tomato Sauce

I have another recipe with shrimp and tomatoes and that is served over polenta!

Stuffed Tomatoes

In the Mediterranean we stuff peppers, eggplants, zucchinis, squash and obviously tomatoes too. This specific recipe combines zucchini, yellow squash and beefsteak tomatoes since those are easier to stuff! Get Recipe: Stuffed Zucchini and Tomatoes

Phyllo Pie with Tomatoes and Onions

A rectangle baking dish showing a phyllo pie, already baked and cut in square pieces. In the background you can see an onion and a tomato. — **Phyllo Pie with Onions and Tomatoes – ©Sonila Zarate**

Phyllo pies are characteristic in Albania, Greece, Turkey and in northern Balkan area. In Albania we call them byrek. While the ones that are filled with spinach and feta or the ones filled with a ground beef filling are more common, the lesser known one is filled with an onion and tomato filling. You have to use fresh tomatoes and blend them for this recipe! Get Recipe Byrek with Onions and Tomatoes

Chicken in a Creamy Sundried Tomato Sauce with Feta

Skillet with chicken in creamy sun dried tomatoes sauce with mushrooms. — **Creamy Chicken with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms** – **©Sonila Zarate**

Skillet chicken dinners are golden to any mom who juggles afterschool, homework and driving kids to so many activities! I cook different chicken recipes in the skillet but this sun dried tomatoes chicken with feta cheese is a special one. I can close my eyes and be transported back to the Mediterranean with the flavors of this dish! Get Recipe: Skillet Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Sauce

Bolivian Tomato Salsa (Llajua)

Bolivian Llajua (Llajwa) Salsa on a white bowl. In the background you see fresh ingredients like tomatoes, peppers and cilantro! — **Bolivian Hot Salsa (Llajua)** – **©Sonila Zarate**

So even though I am from the Mediterranean myself, half of the recipes I cook at home are from Latin America because my husband was born in Bolivia. It’s difficult to find here in Miami the exact ingredients to make Bolivian llajua, but this is the closest version we can get with the ingredients available to us.

It’s spicy, delicious, perfect for dipping chips in or to use as a topper over meats, chicken or grilled food!! Get Recipe: Bolivian Tomato Salsa