Recipes with tomato
The tomato reached Old World kitchens only in the sixteenth century, and it took two hundred years more before anyone dared eat it. It has since taken such a place that Italian, Moroccan or Indian cooking is hard to picture without it. The recipes gathered here show what each cuisine decided to do with it, and the decisions look nothing alike.
Spain and Italy drink it or eat it raw, barely seasoned, trusting the fruit and little else: gazpacho, salmorejo, panzanella, pan con tomate. The Maghreb does the opposite and cooks it down for an hour with peppers and cumin until it becomes a savoury jam — taktouka and zaalouk. West Africa turns it into the red base of a whole dish, jollof rice, and northern India uses it as the acid that carries the spices in chana masala.
One piece of advice holds for nearly all of them: out of season, a tin of whole tomatoes beats a pale fresh one every time. The raw recipes forgive nothing, and are worth waiting for summer.
- Recipes on the site
- 50
- Countries represented
- 25
- Ready in 30 minutes or less
- 16
- Vegan
- 34
- Gluten-free
- 30
The best represented countries: Italy (7) · Spain (4) · India (3) · Kenya (3) · Morocco (3) · Mexico (3)
These recipes also use: aubergine (7) · cheese (7) · peppers (7) · beans (5) · eggs (5)
The recipes
Algeria⏱ 60 minChorba frik
An Algerian soup of cracked green wheat and chickpeas built on a tomato base scented with cinnamon and celery.
Algeria⏱ 75 minMahjouba
An Algerian semolina pancake stretched until translucent, filled with slow-cooked tomato and onion, folded and griddled.
Chile⏱ 20 minChilean Tomato Salad
Ripe tomatoes and salt-soaked onion dressed with oil and coriander, the salad that opens every Chilean summer table.
Ethiopia⏱ 15 minTimatim salata
Ethiopian salad of tomato and red onion with jalapeño, built around torn injera that soaks up the juices.
France⏱ 85 minRatatouille niçoise
Summer vegetables cooked separately then brought together, the Nice way, so each keeps its own flavour.
France⏱ 75 minVegetarian stuffed tomatoes with rice and lentils
Vegetarian stuffed tomatoes baked in the oven: a filling of rice, green lentils, mushrooms and fresh herbs, meat-free and gluten-free.
Greece⏱ 105 minGigantes plaki
Giant white beans baked in a garlicky onion and tomato sauce until creamy inside and caramelised on top, scattered with fresh dill.
Greece⏱ 15 minHoriatiki
Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and Kalamata olives under a whole slab of feta and crushed oregano.
Guatemala⏱ 30 minChirmol
Fire-charred tomatoes chopped by knife with onion and mint, a sauce no Guatemalan table sits down without.
Guatemala⏱ 55 minRed Beans with Chanterelles
Red beans simmered with chanterelles and tomato, the rainy-season dish of the Guatemalan highlands.
Hungary⏱ 50 minLecsó
A Hungarian stew of peppers and tomatoes softened with paprika, finished with beaten eggs that set in the sauce.
India⏱ 55 minBaingan bharta
A smoky mash of flame-roasted aubergine simmered with tomato, onion, garlic and warm North Indian spices until soft and rich.
India⏱ 50 minChana masala
Chickpeas coated in a tight tomato sauce, built on whole spices and sharpened with dried green mango powder.
India⏱ 95 minRajma
Kidney beans simmered in a rich, silky sauce of tomato, onion and garam masala, the Sunday comfort dish of Punjab.
Iran⏱ 55 minMirza ghasemi
The smoky aubergine mash of the Caspian coast, cooked down with plenty of garlic, tomatoes and turmeric, made for scooping with bread.
Iran⏱ 20 minShirazi Salad
Cucumber, tomato and onion in tiny dice, brightened with lime juice and a generous pinch of dried mint.
Israel⏱ 20 minIsraeli Salad
Cucumber and tomato cut into tiny dice, lifted with parsley, lemon juice and a generous pour of olive oil.
Israel⏱ 640 minJachnun
Yemenite dough rolls baked overnight at the lowest heat, served with grated tomato and zhug on Saturday morning.
Italy⏱ 10 minInsalata Caprese
The pride of the island of Capri, celebrating peak summer ripeness with juicy garden tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzarella, sweet basil, and olive oil.
Italy⏱ 25 minPanzanella
Tuscan salad of stale bread soaked in the juice of ripe tomatoes, with red onion, cucumber, basil and a sharp olive oil dressing.
Italy⏱ 55 minPasta alla Norma
Catania's pride, fried aubergines, a basil-scented tomato sauce and a shower of grated salted ricotta.
Italy⏱ 40 minPizza Margherita
A slow-risen dough topped with raw San Marzano tomato, torn fior di latte and a few leaves of basil.
Italy⏱ 70 minSupplì
Tomato risotto balls hiding a core of mozzarella, crumbed and fried, sold in every friggitoria across Rome.
Italy⏱ 45 minTuscan Pappa al Pomodoro
The quintessential Tuscan bread and tomato soup, slowly stewed into a comforting, velvety mash infused with fruity olive oil, garlic, and sweet basil.
Italy⏱ 60 minVegetarian pizza with grilled vegetables and homemade dough
Homemade vegetarian pizza: risen dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella and grilled courgette, aubergine, peppers and red onion. Vegan option included.
Ivory Coast⏱ 40 minAttiéké with vegetables
Ivorian cassava couscous served warm with a sharp tomato and onion salad and slices of fried sweet plantain.
Kenya⏱ 15 minEast African Kachumbari
The vibrant everyday salad of Kenya and Tanzania, tossing crisp sweet tomatoes, salt-massaged red onions, fiery fresh chillies, and lime juice.
Kenya⏱ 55 minMaharagwe
Kenyan red kidney beans simmered in coconut milk with tomato and curry powder, mellow and filling, served with rice or ugali.
Kenya⏱ 40 minUgali with sukuma wiki
Firm white maize porridge served with kale sautéed with tomato and onion, the everyday meal on most Kenyan tables.
Mexico⏱ 70 minChiles rellenos
Poblano peppers charred and peeled, stuffed with queso fresco, coated in whipped egg batter and fried, then served in a tomato broth.
Mexico⏱ 35 minHuevos rancheros
The Mexican farmhouse breakfast: fried eggs on crisp corn tortillas, covered in a tomato and chili salsa, with black beans and avocado.
Mexico⏱ 45 minMexican Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)
Mexico's ultimate comfort soup: a rich, roasted tomato and mild pasilla chilli broth poured over crisp corn tortilla strips, avocado, and crumbled cheese.
Morocco⏱ 55 minTaktouka
Roasted peppers and tomatoes simmered with garlic, cumin and paprika into a soft, glossy relish. The Moroccan cooked salad made for scooping with bread.
Morocco⏱ 70 minVegan harira
Thick tomato soup with lentils and chickpeas, fragrant with coriander and celery, bound with flour, finished with lemon. Morocco's Ramadan essential.
Morocco⏱ 60 minZaalouk
Smoky grilled aubergine and tomato cooked down with garlic, cumin and paprika, eaten cold with bread. Morocco's best-loved cooked salad.
Nepal⏱ 40 minMula ko Achar
A Nepali relish of white radish simmered in a sesame tomato sauce, set beside rice at every meal.
Nigeria⏱ 70 minJollof rice
Rice cooked in a blended tomato and red pepper sauce with scotch bonnet, thyme and curry powder until the bottom catches and smokes. West Africa's icon.
Philippines⏱ 40 minEnsaladang Talong
Filipino aubergine charred over a flame, peeled and topped with tomato, red onion and chopped hard-boiled egg.
Poland⏱ 45 minKopytka
Polish potato dumplings cut into little diamonds from a soft dough, poached and folded through a paprika tomato sauce.
Réunion⏱ 15 minTomato rougail
A Réunion condiment of raw tomato, onion, ginger and chilli crushed in a mortar and set beside a plate of rice.
Senegal⏱ 95 minVegetable tiep rice
Senegal's national dish without the fish, red rice cooked in the tomato broth of the vegetables, with cabbage, carrot and sweet potato.
Spain⏱ 20 minGazpacho
Andalusian chilled soup of ripe tomatoes, pepper, cucumber and garlic, thickened with bread and olive oil and sharpened with sherry vinegar.
Spain⏱ 15 minPan con tomate
Thick slices of toasted rustic bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, drizzled with olive oil and finished with flaky salt.
Spain⏱ 65 minPisto Manchego
Courgette, aubergine and peppers cooked separately then folded into a slow-reduced tomato sauce rich with olive oil.
Spain⏱ 20 minSalmorejo
A chilled Cordoban tomato cream thickened with stale bread and emulsified with olive oil until pale pink and velvety.
Syria⏱ 55 minOkra in tomato sauce
Okra simmered in a garlic and coriander tomato sauce, sharpened at the end with pomegranate molasses and lemon juice.
Syria⏱ 15 minShanklish Salad
Syrian thyme-aged cheese crushed with tomato, onion and olive oil, scooped up with bread at mezze time.
Tunisia⏱ 50 minChakchouka
Peppers, tomatoes and onions simmered with cumin and ras el hanout, with eggs poached straight in the sauce. Made for mopping up with bread.
Turkey⏱ 30 minKısır
The Turkish bulgur salad, fine bulgur swollen in tomato and pepper paste, brightened with mint, parsley and pomegranate molasses.
Turkey⏱ 30 minMenemen
Eggs barely set into a soft stew of green peppers and melting tomatoes, sharpened with Turkish chilli flakes.