Fresh Tomato Recipes - Cooking Light

Tomato Stack Salad with Corn and Avocado

Photo: Nigel Cox

Healthy and Fresh Tomato Recipes

There's so much to love about these seasonal beauties. When summer is here, put down the cans and head to the farmer's market for fresh tomato flavor that can't be beat. From rustic sauces to salsas, we can't stop dreaming up new ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes.

First up: Here is the essence of summer in a standout side salad. This is the star of the meal; keep the entrée simple.

View Recipe: Tomato Stack Salad with Corn and Avocado

Photo: Johnny Autry

Tomato, Squash, and Red Pepper Gratin

Sometimes the best "steak" comes in the form of ripe, juicy beefsteak tomato slices, as in this easy gratin. Serve with a salad of fresh summer greens.

View Recipe: Tomato, Squash, and Red Pepper Gratin

Photo: Nigel Cox

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Height-of-summer tomatoes burst with flavor and need little embellishment to create a spectacular dish. Churning the oil into boiling liquid emulsifies the mixture, yielding a creamy sauce that coats.

View Recipe: Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Photo: Francesco Tonelli

Tomato Tart

A summery spectacular, but also a creamy, cheesy calorie and sat-fat bomb. Ours is meat-free and cream-free, but olives add satisfying richness.

View Recipe: Tomato Tart

Photo: Romulo Yanes

Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa, Corn, and Green Chiles

These tomatoes are stuffed full with super healthy quinoa, sweet fresh corn, poblano chiles, and lots of shredded cheese. Fresh lime juice adds a burst of citrus freshness. It's a delicious side or meatless main.

View Recipe: Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa, Corn, and Green Chiles

Photo: Nigel Cox

Seared Scallops with Summer Vegetables and Beurre Blanc

A screaming-hot skillet and baking sheet yield fantastic seared scallops and quick-roasted tomatoes and veggies. The luxurious sauce is little more than butter emulsified into reduced white wine—keep the butter cold and whisk it in gradually for the creamiest sauce.

View Recipe: Seared Scallops with Summer Vegetables and Beurre Blanc

Photo: Johnny Autry

Open-Faced Sandwiches with Mushrooms and Fried Eggs

This open-faced sandwich is savory and delicious. It's perfect for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner.

View Recipe: Open-Faced Sandwiches with Mushrooms and Fried Eggs

Photo: Johnny Autry

Pork and Tomato Skillet Sauté

Use heirloom tomatoes to make this dish extra colorful. A sprinkling of basil before serving gives one last punch of freshness.

View Recipe: Pork and Tomato Skillet Sauté

Photo: Johnny Autry

Fresh Tomato-Feta Pizza

If olives are a deal breaker, leave them off; the pizza is still yummy with garden-fresh tomatoes and tangy feta.

View Recipe: Fresh Tomato-Feta Pizza

Photo: Romulo Yanes

Shrimp and Corn Cakes with Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Delicious patties made of fresh corn, shrimp, and bell pepper are pan-fried to perfection in this recipe. Serrano chile in the heirloom tomato salsa adds a bit of heat, and cilantro some earthy freshness.

View Recipe: Shrimp and Corn Cakes with Heirloom Tomato Salsa

$Tex-Mex Chicken Soup Recipe$

Photo: Johnny Autry

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

This is a true fiesta in a bowl. This soup is chock-full of the southwestern flavors we all love. Serve this showstopper with a garnish of lime.

View Recipe: Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Photo: Mary Britton Senseney/Wonderful Machine

Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes

Panko and fresh herbs give flounder a crispy and flavorful coating. Oven roasted cherry tomatoes are the perfect side.

View Recipe: Crispy Flounder and Roasted Tomatoes

Photo: José Picayo

Vegetable Lasagna

Lots of colorful, delicious baby veggies between pasta layers reduce the typical mounds of cheese. Our white sauce is based on fat-free broth, and we add just a bit of cream and an egg to give it a silky texture. We sprinkled the Parm within the layers to supplement the fontina that's used to give a crunchy-cheesy crust on top.

View Recipe: Vegetable Lasagna

Photo: Johnny Autry

Eggplant Involtini

Ciao down on the flavors of Italy with this vegetarian entree of Eggplant Involtini. Fresh tomatoes and tender slices of eggplant are the stars here.

View Recipe: Eggplant Involtini

Photo: John Autry

Pan-Seared Chicken with Tomato-Olive Relish

Select your favorite varieties of olives from the supermarket olive bar to make the relish without leftovers. Quartered cherry tomatoes give a sweet crunch.

View Recipe: Pan-Seared Chicken with Tomato-Olive Relish

Photo: John Autry

Spanish-Style Cod in Tomato Broth

When stirring the shallot and broth mixtures, be careful not to break up the fish. Look for wild Atlantic cod from Iceland, Maine, or the Arctic to ensure a sustainable choice.

View Recipe: Spanish-Style Cod in Tomato Broth

Photo: John Autry

Baked Feta with Romesco and Olive Tapenade

Make the romesco sauce and tapenade up to three days ahead, and keep them chilled separately.

View Recipe: Baked Feta with Romesco and Olive Tapenade

Photo: Johnny Autry

Mexican Stuffed Poblanos

Poblano peppers are stuffed with a delicious combination of pinto beans, bulgur, and topped with fresh tomatoes and Mexican flavors for a delicious meal.

View Recipe: Mexican Stuffed Poblanos

Photo: John Autry

Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho

Make this soup up to two days ahead, cover, and chill until you’re ready to serve. If you prepare it ahead, you may need to stir in a bit of water before serving, as it may thicken slightly as it sits. For more heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeño, or remove them to tame the flames.

View Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho

Photo: Randy Mayor

Creole Tomato Salad

Tomatoes are an important ingredient in the Creole cooking of New Orleans. This composed salad is easy to put together yet yields abundant, fresh flavor.

View Recipe: Creole Tomato Salad

Photo: Randy Mayor

Asparagus, Tomato, and Onion Farinata

Italian flavors abound in this vegetarian one-dish meal of Asparagus, Tomato, and Onion Farinata. Farinata is a thin cake made with chickpea flour. The chickpea flour makes this crispy crust high in fiber and gluten-free.

View Recipe: Asparagus, Tomato, and Onion Farinata

Photo: John Autry

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Clams

Inspired by salsa cruda, or "raw sauce," this dish features a simple and delicious combination of tomatoes, chives, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.

View Recipe: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Clams

Photo: Lee Harrelson

Fried Green Tomato BLTs

A Southern favorite, fried green tomatoes lend a delightful twist to this sandwich. The tomatoes take center stage over the bacon in this version.

View Recipe: Fried Green Tomato BLTs

Photo: Johnny Autry

Spicy Moroccan Chicken Skewers

Serve with hot cooked couscous. Give the couscous nutty flavor by toasting it in a hot pan before you rehydrate it.

View Recipe: Spicy Moroccan Chicken Skewers

Photo: Mary Britton Senseney/Wonderful Machine

Charred BLT Salad

Classic BLT ingredients receive unexpected flavor from grilling romaine hearts. Cubed whole-grain bread gives added heartiness.

View Recipe: Charred BLT Salad

Photo: Oxmoor House

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

Don’t doubt this sauce because it’s so easy. The key is your sun-ripened garden tomato. San Marzano, Roma, or the smaller, dark-shouldered Black Plum would be ideal. Use the sauce on fresh, artisanal pastas for a truly special meal.

View Recipe: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Arctic Char with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Highlight two champions of summer: wild arctic char and pints of sunny sweet cherry tomatoes. Wild arctic char from the northern seas is available for only a few weeks in late summer, when the ice has melted enough for the local fishermen to reach them. It is a sought-after delicacy, and one that will cost you. Fresh is well worth the splurge when you can find it.

View Recipe: Arctic Char with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Photo: Johnny Miller

Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, and Peas

An ideal dish for warm-weather entertaining or to serve to company, this pasta dish is full of only the freshest flavors of summer.

View Recipe: Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, and Peas

Photo: Johnny Miller

Heirloom Tomato and Beet Salad

Heirloom tomatoes serve as the base for this vibrant and delicious vegetable salad.

View Recipe: Heirloom Tomato and Beet Salad

Photo: Johnny Miller

Green Tomato and Fig Cupcakes

Tomatoes and fig come together to create an unusual, yet oh-so-decadent dessert that everyone in the family will love.

View Recipe: Green Tomato and Fig Cupcakes