Garlicky, fruity and packed with lots of delicious summer flavors, these marinated tomatoes are going to be your next favorite side to make at that BBQ or cookout you're hosting.
I recently tried a nice tomato tartare and cherry tomato confit, and absolutely fell in love with the tangy and juicy flavors of fresh tomatoes, and thought of putting them to use for yet another side dish.
Every time I have a lot of tomatoes, I whip up a batch of my tomato Passata sauce and fire roasted tomatoes to use up for all my pasta and pizza dishes.
This time, I wanted to try something simpler- something that didn't need a lot of kitchen time, but still had oodles of flavor, and that's when I thought of this recipe.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about this recipe is that it takes just 10 minutes to make, and you don't need any fancy ingredients to put it together. And yes, it's a no-cook recipe too.
Plus, you can tweak and play around with the ingredients and herbs too- I know I did! I'm absolutely obsessed with tossing it with my spicy Italian dipping oil.
Recipe Ingredients
Tomatoes: Choose the best, ripe and juicy tomatoes you can get your hands on. Roma tomatoes are great, but if you can't find them, it's okay.
Balsamic vinegar: For that deep, umami flavor.
Aromatics: Fresh shallots and garlic, for that savoriness.
Lemon: Juiced, to brighten up the marinated tomato salad.
Herbs: I used a mix of dried thyme and fresh basil and chives. You can use pretty much any of your favorite Italian herbs.
Seasonings: Just some salt and pepper. Use an infused salt like citrus salt or herb salt for extra flavor.
Oil: Ideally extra virgin or an infused oil like garlic rosemary infused oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
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Substitutions & Variations
- Add some chopped balsamic pickled onions instead of shallots to lend an extra bit of flavor to these marinated tomatoes.
- Sometimes, I even ditch the fresh basil and spoon some of my basil Gremolata over the top of the salad before serving.
How to Make Marinated Tomatoes
Step 1: Dice the tomatoes into bite sized chunks and chop the garlic and shallots into small, but not very fine pieces.
Step 2: Transfer to a bowl and add the seasonings. Tear the fresh basil leaves over them.
Step 3: Chop chives and add them in too.
Step 4: Squeeze some lemon juice over the top.
Step 5: Finish up with a drizzle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar.
Step 6: Toss everything well and let it rest for 10 minutes or more before you serve.
💭Top Tip
The resting time is crucial to allow the flavors to develop and for the tomatoes to soften a bit. Don't skip it.
How to Store Leftover Marinated Tomatoes
Store the leftovers in a clean glass container in the refrigerator for up to a day. Keep in mind that refrigerating them will cause them to lose quite a bit of water and turn soft too!
Don't store them for more than a day- they'll end up spoiling.
Sea salt is a fundamental ingredient that is so flavorful, you can use less. One bag has 227 servings and lasts months. For centuries, chefs have enjoyed its taste and texture. Now you can try natural sea salt at home, and love it forever.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Depending on your personal preference, you can marinate these for anywhere between 10 minutes to a couple of hours. The longer the tomatoes sit, the better the flavor.
- If you're letting them marinate for a longer time, make sure you cover and refrigerate them.
- If your tomatoes seem too juicy and watery, you can core them if you want to.
- I chopped the tomatoes into large sized chunks, but if you prefer a different texture, you can chop them up smaller too. I love using that variant as a topping over some Bruschetta- it tastes perfect with a sprinkle of celery salt or jalapeno salt to finish up!
- You can also top the marinated tomatoes with some shaved Parmesan or crispy Italian breadcrumbs before you serve!
How to Serve Garlic Marinated Tomatoes
Enjoy these juicy marinated tomatoes as a side dish with any grilled meat or Italian pasta dish. You can also serve it as a simple salad with practically anything.
I personally love using it as a topping over my avocado toast or breakfast toast. The flavors work so well with my chili crisp fried eggs.
I've also used it as a topping over my homemade pizza every time I use my simple olive oil pizza sauce instead of a classic marinara sauce.
Recipe FAQs
You absolutely can! In fact, if you find them, even better.
More Side Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this marinated tomatoes recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Marinated Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 shallot
- 2-3 garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon chives chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Dice the tomatoes into bite sized chunks and chop the garlic and shallots into small, but not very fine pieces.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the seasonings. Tear the fresh basil leaves over them.
- Chop chives and add them in too.
- Squeeze some lemon juice over the top.
- Finish up with a drizzle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar.
- Toss everything well and let it rest for 10 minutes or more before you serve.
Notes
- Depending on your personal preference, you can marinate these for anywhere between 10 minutes to a couple of hours. The longer the tomatoes sit, the better the flavor.
- If you're letting them marinate for a longer time, make sure you cover and refrigerate them.
- If your tomatoes seem too juicy and watery, you can core them if you want to.
- I chopped the tomatoes into large sized chunks, but if you prefer a different texture, you can chop them up smaller too. I love using that variant as a topping over some Bruschetta- it tastes perfect with a sprinkle of celery salt or jalapeno salt to finish up!
- You can also top the marinated tomatoes with some shaved Parmesan or crispy Italian breadcrumbs before you serve!
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