What Goes Well With Tomatoes?
What goes well with tomatoes? Learn the best ingredient pairings, meal ideas, popular flavor combinations, and other helpful tips.
Looking for more ingredient pairings? Check out what goes well with lemon, blueberries, or coconut.
Knowing what goes well with tomatoes gives you a starting point for putting meals together using the ingredients you already have on hand.
Whether you want to reduce food waste, get more creative in the kitchen, or improve your cooking skills, it starts with understanding what flavors pair well together.
What are Tomatoes?
Plant Family
The tomato is a member of the nightshade family along with bell peppers, eggplant, and potatoes (not including sweet potatoes).
Although they’re a fruit, tomatoes are often thought of as a vegetable since they don’t have the same sweet flavor profile that the majority of fruits have.
Colors, Varieties, Flavors
Their colors can range from red to yellow to orange, to green, to a darker, reddish-brown color.
Even though there are thousands of varieties, the most popular tomato varieties are:
- Red Beefsteak
- Green Beefsteak
- Roma (also called Plum)
- Heirloom (come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors)
- Grape
- Cherry
- On the Vine
- Cocktail
Their texture and flavor range from crunchy to meaty and sweet to tangy depending on the variety.
When to Buy
The peak season for tomatoes is May through October. Look at the seasonal produce guide to see what’s in season right now.
What to Look For
Look for tomatoes that are plump, richly colored, and firm with smooth skin. When they’re ripe, they have a sweet fragrance.
How to Store
Because cold temperatures halt their ripening process, it’s best to store them at room temperature but out of direct sunlight. They’ll keep for up to one week this way.
Cooking Techniques
Tomatoes can be baked, broiled, confited, fried, grilled, roasted, sauteed, stewed, or eaten raw.
What Ingredients Go Well With Tomatoes?
Vegetables
Arugula, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chile peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, fava beans, fennel, garlic, ginger, green beans, horseradish, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, peas, shallots, squash, and zucchini.
Fruit
Avocados, lemons, limes, mango, melon, orange – esp. juice, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon.
Herbs
Basil, chives, cilantro, dill, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.
Spices
Allspice, bay leaf, cayenne, celery salt, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, paprika, black and white pepper, red pepper flakes, saffron, and kosher, Maldon, & sea salt.
Nuts & Seeds
Almonds and hazelnuts.
Non-dairy/dairy
Butter or dairy-free butter, cheddar, feta, parmesan, mozzarella or dairy free mozzarella, ricotta cheese or almond or cashew ricotta, cream or cashew cream, cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese, and yogurt or dairy-free yogurt.
Proteins
Anchovies, chicken, crab, eggs, fish (poached or grilled), ham, lamb, meats, shellfish, and veal.
Pantry Items
Aioli, bread, bread crumbs, capers, chickpeas, coconut milk, chili sauce, honey, legumes, mayo, mustard, olive oil, olives: esp black or niçoise, pasta, rice, stock/broth, sugar: just a pinch, tomato paste, and wine: red, rose, or white.
Popular Tomato Pairings
- avocado + basil + crab
- avocado + lemon
- basil + chervil (French parsley) + garlic + tarragon
- mozzarella + basil + garlic + olive oil + balsamic vinegar
- basil + olive oil + orange juice + prosciutto + watermelon
- ricotta + basil
What to Make With Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a common ingredient in French, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Spanish cuisines and are often used in pasta and pasta sauces, pizza, salads, sandwiches, sauces, soups, stews, and vinaigrettes.
Fresh tomatoes have the best flavor when in their peak season.
Have in-season tomatoes? Try these:
- pasta: dairy free Margherita pasta or burst cherry tomato pasta
- condiments: fresh tomato relish, dairy free roasted tomato butter, cherry tomato confit, or tomato bacon jam
- bread: Margherita flatbread or avocado toast with marinated tomatoes
- salads: peach panzanella salad, Italian green bean salad, or peach tomato salad
- soup: dairy free tomato soup with basil
If fresh tomatoes aren’t in season, use canned tomatoes in all their forms: crushed, diced, or whole or sun dried tomatoes.
Try these recipes:
- pasta: spaghetti arrabbiata, lasagna with butternut squash noodles, dairy free marry me chicken pasta, creamy spinach and sun dried tomato pasta, or 15 minute pesto rosso pasta
- soup: quick and easy taco soup, chicken cilantro lime soup, or 10 vegetable soup
- pizza: kimchi pizza, bolognese pizza, or spaghetti squash pizza casserole
- more: coconut chickpea curry or gluten free chicken parmesan
A good thing to always have on hand is tomato paste for tomato paste pizza sauce and green chile cashew queso for snacking.
To grab more inspiration, look in your fridge and see what ingredients you have from the above lists to create something.