Why not delve into this luscious list of heirloom tomato recipes? We are so happy you are here!
Beautiful, sleek and heavy heirloom tomatoes. They inspire joyful cooking and add color and potential to every kitchen countertop.
Their rich flavor and juicy texture add a robust touch to even simple meals like sandwiches and eggs…and elevate the sophisticated ones, too.
Have you ever looked at a basket display of these colorful gems and wondered why they are a little pricier and a bit “misshapen” compared to other tomatoes? Read more in our bottom line below.
So what to do with heirloom tomatoes? Anything. Everything.
And these recipes should get you started and on your way to crafting your own heirloom tomato recipes, even.
The options are endless, from sides to soups to entrees.
Once you experience the flavor of the heirloom tomato, you may never look back.
From the simple, tasteful Heirloom Tomato & Feta Salad to guest-worthy Mathilde’s Tomato Tart, and the hearty and zesty Baked Parmesan Basil Heirlooms with the delightful brunch standout Fresh Heirloom Tomato Soup With Cream, we have a memorable list here that will help you make heirloom tomato magic.
So let’s dive into heirloom tomato recipes and see how they capitalize on these beauties!
If flatbread is your jam, then this recipe is absolutely, totally and completely what to make with heirloom tomatoes!
Several steps make this a stunning recipe.
Fried fresh basil leaves for one.
Burrata cheese instead of mozzarella for two.
Flake sea salt for three!
Lightly broiled flatbread is the perfect base to build on!
This one is a hit!
Perhaps the most obvious decision of what to do with heirloom tomatoes is to make a stunning salad!
This recipe calls for small heirloom tomatoes.
Yes, heirloom tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes!
I love that this one can be assembled ahead of time and then pulled out when dinner is ready to be served!
Bite size is also my favorite type of salad to enjoy!
Also included are red onions, feta cheese, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Lovely colors and taste to match!
When your friends ask you how to use heirloom tomatoes, this is a fun savory answer, in gazpacho!
Tomato soup has a long standing tradition of being served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich in the winter.
This recipe is the complete opposite being served refreshingly cold in summertime!
It can be strained for extra smoothness after pureeing.
Using yellow heirlooms gives it this pristine natural yellow coloring!
Heirloom tomato recipes can be very, very simple and still taste sophisticated.
Perhaps as simple as slicing and whisking and assembling and enjoying!
This is one of them.
This has a decidedly Mediterranean flair with garlic, shallots, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese, olive oil and red wine vinegar in the vinaigrette.
Half an hour before serving, slice tomatoes and toss with vinaigrette and let stand for 20 minutes.
Arrange on plates and sprinkle feta cheese on top and drizzle on additional vinaigrette.
At the end of tomato season, you may be asking yourself what to do with heirloom tomatoes.
This recipe is easy squeezy and has you arrange some sliced heirloom full size and cherry tomatoes on a serving tray.
Then sprinkle on some basil leaves AND to put it over the top, your own homemade croutons!
(Recipe included!) Spoon on the dressing and your heirloom tomato salad is ready!
Cooking with heirloom tomatoes is easy with this recipe.
Here instructions are given to make a vegan pesto spread.
Then, get six slices of bread, spread on the pesto, add sliced tomatoes and olive oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes!
Pure crispy deliciousness!
Great appetizer or side dish!
A galette is kinda like a simple quiche or a panless pie or a pizza with bumpers, all depending on the filling and how you look at it.
It’s a wonderful way to show off how to use heirloom tomatoes!
Using a pie crust you made or purchased, roll it out and place sliced tomatoes around, sprinkle on parmesan, thyme and garlic powder.
Carefully fold over the edges of the dough and use an egg wash to brush the crust with and add salt.
Bake and serve warm!
Here’s a novel idea, when you cannot think of what to make with heirloom tomatoes, consider making a delicious pan of tomato sauce that could then be used in any one of a number of recipes!
Here we are to blanch the tomatoes, chop them in a food processor, boil with oil and garlic and then simmer for an hour or so.
Finally, add some spices and enjoy as you wish!
The lovely taste of heirloom tomato recipes are accentuated by not only the tomatoes but by the seasonings.
Nothing shows that off more than bruschetta.
I mean, what can go wrong with bread, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, basil, olives and balsamic vinegar?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing!
Except them instantly disappearing!
What to do, what to do with heirloom tomatoes!
Make a pie, that’s what!
Gonna let you in on a little secret.
Lean in.
Bake the tomatoes first to dry them out while you are cooking up the bacon, this way your pie will not be soggy, because nobody needs soggy tomato pie!
Lots of other fantastic ingredients go into this pie.
Allow four hours for this masterpiece!
It is extremely rewarding to make Tabbouleh, a Lebanese recipe, when considering how to use heirloom tomatoes.
The steps of making it in this write-up come with full pictures of how and when to add the bulgar wheat, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, parsley, zucchini, scallions, and heirloom cherry tomatoes!
Served cold after chilling for an hour!
The list of what to make with heirloom tomatoes is a long one.
This raw kale salad has several unique parts like homemade coconut bacon and a garlic lemon tahini dressing.
A few ingredients might not be on hand, so look them over carefully before beginning.
The coconut bacon is actually a bacon substitute and steps are given to make the croutons and dressing as well.
Assembling is the easy part.
Cooking with heirloom tomatoes sometimes can transport you to another time or place.
This recipe is, in my opinion, very fancy and professional.
There is the shell and filling of tomatoes with olive oil and a mustard mix as a switch up from other recipes.
Allow for two hours to make.
Hundreds of comments let you know it has been well enjoyed!
Some heirloom tomato recipes lend themselves to brunch and this is one of those!
The layering of the English muffin, portobello mushroom, and heirloom tomato is beautiful.
Then you add the welsh rarebit sauce on top and it becomes a truly extraordinary dish!
Every year that craving for a rich and creamy tomato soup hits just as the weather turns cooler and you know instantly what to do with heirloom tomatoes!
Make tomato soup! Several special secrets shared here include using plenty of tomatoes, puree them after simmering and cooling.
Finally when serving, rewarm and add some heavy cream to each bowl for that heavenly touch of creaminess!
Cornbread may not be what comes to mind when thinking about what to make with heirloom tomatoes, but check this recipe out!
It includes cheddar cheese, toasted tomatoes, corn, sour cream, milk, butter, well the list is long, but you get the drift, it is rich and delicious!
Baking in a cast iron skillet gives it phenomenal flavor with the tomatoes baked right in on top!
Cooking with heirloom tomatoes gives new life to this pizza recipe.
It has a rustic, obviously homemade flair, with a not-perfect crust and not-perfectly shaped tomato slices, which oozes with an authentic rustic touch.
Surprisingly it uses plain Greek yogurt in the crust and boursin cheese on top with the heirloom tomato slices!
Absolutely a family favorite and will be quick to disappear!
A sheet pan dinner recipe is a welcome weeknight answer to how to use heirloom tomatoes.
This recipe includes tomatoes, bell peppers and chorizo seasoned and baked for 20 minutes.
Then the cod pieces are added to the sheet pan, seasoned and cooked for 15 minutes more.
Fresh basil, a good crusty bread on the side and dinner is served!
This long involved journey into waffle creation is enjoyable to read and I will leave you to select which variation you would prefer to make.
Allow me to focus on the question of “how to use heirloom tomatoes with waffles as the main entree?” question that is staring us in the face.
Easy, you serve them as a side salad to the waffles.
The salad includes heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, lemon zest, burrata cheese, salt and pepper, basil leaves and balsamic vinegar.
Different, beautiful, and excellent!
Cooking with heirloom tomatoes is sometimes super simple!
Roasting the cute little cherry heirloom tomatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano leaves is the epitome of fresh tasting!
They can be served mixed into the recommended spaghetti with burrata or any type pasta you may be in the mood for!
The final addition to our list of heirloom tomato recipes is a keeper!
It is easy to prepare and it is gloriously delicious!
Heirloom tomato slices with two types of cheese on top?
YES please!
A bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and just a couple minutes in the oven is all it takes!
Fresh basil sprinkled on before serving is the chef’s kiss of the night!
The bottom line
When folks talk about family heirlooms, you know they are discussing items that belonged to older generations that have been passed down through the family.
Same concept is true with heirloom tomatoes.
The seeds of heirloom tomatoes have been passed down through a farming family and specifically not cross-pollinated for 50-plus years.
Each heirloom variety is genetically unique and has adapted to a certain climate.
They are also open-pollinated by bees or wind.
They typically produce fewer tomatoes per plant but their flavor is superior partly due to the high quality of the seeds and the fact that they are left on the vine longer and sold locally in farmer’s markets or farm stands.
They are not uniform in color or size or shape but they are definitely worth seeking out!
Cooking with heirloom tomatoes will be a very flavorful adventure!
Thankfully, some major retail grocery stores are now beginning to carry heirloom tomatoes, but obviously that will vary from place to place.
This is a very exciting step forward in promoting locally grown produce!
21 Heirloom Tomato Recipes
Check out these 21 Heirloom Tomato Recipes that make good use of these robust heirloom tomatoes to create heavenly tasting recipes!
Ingredients
- Heirloom Tomato Flatbread with Fried Basil
- Heirloom Tomato Salad
- Yellow Tomato Gazpacho Recipe: The Perfect Cold Soup for Summer
- Heirloom Tomato and Feta Salad
- Heirloom Tomato Salad w/ Homemade Croutons
- Roasted Tomato & Pumpkin Seed Pesto Toasts
- Best Heirloom Tomato Sauce Recipe
- Bruschetta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Olives and Basil
- Heirloom Tomato Pie Recipe
- Tabbouleh with Heirloom Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Heirloom BLT Salad (with Coconut Bacon!)
- Mathilde's Tomato Tart
- Heirloom Tomato Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Simple Rarebit
- Fresh Heirloom Tomato Soup with Cream
- Heirloom Tomato Cornbread with Cheddar Cheese
- Rustic Heirloom Tomato Pizza
- Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes with Cod and Chorizo
- Burrata Caprese Waffles
- Roasted Cherry Tomato and Burrata Pasta
- Baked Parmesan Basil Heirloom Tomatoes
Instructions
- Choose one or more options from our list of recipes for Heirloom Tomato here.
- Create your new favorite dish.
- Pat yourself on the back for making food at home for you to enjoy!
- Share and comment! Did you make any tweaks so it’s all your own?