Figuring out what to do with lots of tomatoes may be an issue you face during garden season. Tomatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow and often times you will end up with extra tomatoes. Here we have you covered with ways to use extra tomatoes from salads to sauces and everything in between.
Jump to:
- Salads with Tomatoes
- Tomato Caprese Salad
- Lettuce Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Tomato Onion Salad
- Sauces, Soups & Salsas
- Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Freezer Marinara Sauce
- Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Veggies
- Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Homemade Salsa
- Vegan Tomato Soup
- Main & Side Dishes
- Quinoa with Zucchini and Tomatoes
- Tomato Pie Casserole
- Whipped Goat Cheese Bruschetta
- Dump & Go Chilli
- Dehydrated, Roasted and More
- Dehydrated Tomatoes
- Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Italian Style Smoked Tomatoes
- Confit Tomatoes
- In Conclusion
There are many different types of tomatoes that you can grow in your garden (or purchase at the store). Tomatoes are a prolific crop and you may be wondering how to use up all those tomatoes you're bringing in. (Or, you may find a great sale at the store and want to stock up when they are at rock bottom price.)
We have carefully selected over 15 recipes to help you figure out what to make with lots of tomatoes so that your harvest doesn't go to waste. These selections are based on: how many tomatoes they use, speed to make them, ability to preserve for later.
Salads with Tomatoes
Want to use up those tomatoes, but still looking to eat them fresh? Try out some of these super yummy salads with tomatoes.
Tomato Caprese Salad
This delicious and easy tomato caprese salad uses just 5 ingredients. It is full of fresh flavors like mozarella, basil, and tomatoes (of course).
Why it's good: you can use any tomatoes you want - though heirloom are recommended. It's so fast to make - ready in just 5 minutes and you can easily make a large amount and snack on it for a few days.
Lettuce Cucumber Tomato Salad
A Lettuce cucumber tomato salad is the perfect way to use up lots of things you grow in your garden. Its fresh, crunchy and can be customized however you like.
Why it's good: this is fast and easy to make - ready in under 15 minutes. You can use any variety of tomato you have on hand.
Tomato Onion Salad
This light and refreshing tomato onion salad is super yummy and easy to make. Plus, it uses 2 pounds of tomatoes so it'll really make a dent in your pile.
Why it's good: easily customize it by adding different herbs or some cheese. No cooking necessary, this is ready in under 10 minutes.
Sauces, Soups & Salsas
Tomatoes are often used as the main base for pasta sauces, salsas and creamy soups. Here you will find a variety of different tomato based recipes for these foods.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Homemade pizza sauce with tomatoes and peppers is super tasty and involves roasting the veggies to make them even more flavorful. It's perfect to use on your own homemade pizza dough with any of your favorite toppings.
Why it's good: it will help you use up about 6 tomatoes per batch of sauce. You can easily freeze the sauce and store it for later.
Freezer Marinara Sauce
Looking for a sauce that you can store for later? This freezer marinara sauce has you covered. This is a versatile sauce that can be used on a wide variety of foods from pizzas to pasta.
Why it's good: uses up to 14 tomatoes! Plus it's an easy sauce recipe that you don't have to can to store, simply fill up your jars or bags when it's done and pop it into the freezer.
Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Veggies
Looking for a chunky and robust sauce? Try this spaghetti sauce with fresh veggies. It's a lightly sweet sauce full of tomatoes and other vegetables like mushrooms and peppers.
Why it's good: easily customize it with different vegetables as you prefer. It uses a whopping 4.5 pounds of tomatoes.
Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
This flavorful oven roasted tomato sauce is extra easy as you don't have to stand over the stovetop simmering the sauce. Simply prep your ingredients and pop them into the oven to roast.
Why it's good: this sauce will help you use up 3 pounds of tomatoes. And, it's super easy to freeze so you can save it for later.
Homemade Salsa
This homemade salsa is flavorful and a little spicy. It has onions, garlic, jalapenos and more mixed in with fresh tomatoes. You can use it for dipping chips, Mexican dishes and more.
Why it's good: you can refrigerate this or can it and store it for later. This recipe will help you get rid of over 8 tomatoes.
Vegan Tomato Soup
This list wouldn't be complete without a tomato soup recipe. This yummy vegan tomato soup is rich and creamy. It's perfect for serving on it's own or pairing with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Why it's good: this is an easy one pot recipe made in about 10 minutes. You can serve it fresh or easily bag it, freeze it and store it for later.
Need to get all your food preserved easily? Check out the Ultimate Guide To Freezing Food so that you can fill your freezer without in minimal time.
Main & Side Dishes
These main and side dishes that are packed with tomatoes range from casseroles to bruschettas. Whip up a few of these tomato heavy recipes to serve for dinner or appetizers.
Quinoa with Zucchini and Tomatoes
This delicious quinoa with zucchini and tomatoes helps you use up two garden crops at once. It incorporates a light, lemon based dressing that really helps bring out all the fresh flavors.
Why its good: this is a light and fresh dish that is full of summer flavors. You can make it as is or make extra servings to refrigerate for later.
Tomato Pie Casserole
Looking for a southern favorite? Look no further than this easy tomato pie casserole. Layers of tomatoes, onions, crackers and cheese. Note: this recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes. You can easily roast and dice your fresh tomatoes.
Why it's good: this is comfort food at it's finest. It's easy to make and can be frozen for later.
Whipped Goat Cheese Bruschetta
This whipped goat cheese bruschetta is a great snack or light lunch. It's creamy goat cheese, toasty baguette and fresh tomatoes, herbs and light dressing.
Why it's good: it's easy to customize the flavors to be just what you love. It uses around 5 tomatoes.
Dump & Go Chilli
This super easy and inexpensive chili in the slow cooker is super yummy. Note: the recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes, but you can easily dice and use fresh ones.
Why it's good: though the cook time is long, it only takes 15 minutes of prep to get it going and then it just sits and cooks. This is super easy to freeze to save for later.
Dehydrated, Roasted and More
Looking for super simple ways to use your tomatoes? Got ya covered here with sun drying, dehydrating, roasting and more.
Dehydrated Tomatoes
Dehydrated tomatoes is a great way to use up your extras. You can use this method for any type of tomato.
Why they're good: you can serve them plain as snacks, in salads, as part of pasta sauces and more. They can be stored like this for over around a year.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
These easy roasted cherry tomatoes are flavorful and delicious. They're quick and easy to make taking about 35 minutes.
Why they're good: you can use them in a variety of ways - eat them as is, serve on salad, pasta, pizza and more. Or, you can freeze them and store them for later use.
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Whip up a large batch of these sun dried tomatoes when you have your harvest basket overflowing. They're great to use as snacks, on pasta and in salads.
Why they're good: this recipe shows you how to make these with your regular oven (no expensive dehydrator needed). You can make a super large batch easily and store or freeze for later.
Italian Style Smoked Tomatoes
Try some of these flavorful and delicious italian style smoked tomatoes. Smokers aren't just for big slabs of meat - they can also make flavorful veggies.
Why they're good: they're versatile with their herby and smoky flavor. You can eat them as a side on their own or toss them in salads or pastas to spice them up.
Confit Tomatoes
Garlic, rosemary and roasted tomatoes are all combined into these delicious confit tomatoes. Add these to sandwiches, pastas or salad to give your dishes a little extra pizazz.
Why they're good: this recipe uses 5 cups of tomatoes. Plus, you can keep it in the fridge, or save it for longer by freezing it.
In Conclusion
Whenever you get a boat load of tomatoes (either from a bountiful garden harvest, or at a banging sale in the store), don't let them go to waste. Whip them up in a few of these tomato recipes and eat some now and store some for later.
If you need more help getting your foods frozen, check out the Ultimate Freezing Food Guide for a complete quick start reference so that you can have a well-stocked freezer.