By Megan McFadden in Ingredient — Oct 1, 2023

Tomato Magic: 50 Vegan Recipes to Delight Your Taste Buds

Nobody likes rotten tomatoes, so let's find more ways to use them before they spoil. Make these vegan tomato recipes today.

Introduction

Tomatoes are a staple in cuisines worldwide, and their unique flavor and versatility make them a beloved ingredient in kitchens and on dining tables across the globe.

Let's face it. Nobody likes rotten tomatoes, so instead of being a sourpuss, we should learn more ways to use them before they spoil.

Make these vegan tomato recipes today, including but not limited to the following.

Tomato Tuna Sashimi
Okra and Tomatoes
Caramelized Onion and Tomato Risotto
Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
Tomato Galette

1. Tomato Tuna Sashimi

Vegans have been revolutionary with their recipes. With seafood, I've seen vegan alternatives made with carrots, watermelon, mushrooms, banana blossoms, and more.

If you are up for the challenge, create tomato tuna sashimi from Rooty Fruity Vegan.

2. Okra and Tomatoes

I am embarrassed to admit that I messed up buying okra online once. I didn't understand it was small and light, so the three-pound pack didn't sound like a lot until I found a huge bag in my produce box. I wasted most of it because I was clueless about eating it all in a week. I learned to buy only a few, working full-time and doing my blog as a side hustle, I'll let the vegan pros veganize these recipes small ones in the store to prevent food waste.

For all okra lovers, I recommend making okra and tomatoes from The Vegan Atlas. Here are more okra recipes.

3. Caramelized Onion and Tomato Risotto

I am notorious for overspending on groceries when I shop in the store. Everything looks so good that I get way more than I need, and that is pointless because some of it spoils before I can eat it.

One way I reduce my spending is by shopping for groceries online and picking them up the next day on the way home from work. Another is buying cheap ingredients over spending a gazillion dollars on all possible vegan alternatives I can use in my recipes.

What do rice, onions, and tomatoes have in common? They are cheap and good for you. Try caramelized onion and tomato risotto from Connoisseurus Veg.

4. Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

Salads sound like a huge health food made of veggies, so many nonvegans stereotype vegans as huge salad eaters. No matter how often I say I hardly eat salads, I still get questions and remarks about me and my salads.

Salad lovers should use this cucumber, tomato, and avocado salad as a side for a Mexican dish from A Couple Cooks.

5. Tomato Galette

I don't completely understand the differences between galettes and pizza besides galettes originate from France and pizza is from Italy.

Despite that, this tomato galette by From My Bowl looks delicious.

6. Antipasto Charcuterie Wreath

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost three months away, so it's acceptable to start researching recipes for your Christmas festivities.

A great appetizer is an antipasto charcuterie wreath, a recipe from Make It Dairy Free. Make more Christmas recipes if you want.

I will continue celebrating Halloween with horror films and fun arts and crafts, but you do you.

7. Baked Cherry Tomato Feta Pasta

My cousin keeps insisting that I spend more time veganizing TikTok food trends. Since I don't have enough time to test vegan versions of recipes at this time, working full-time and doing my blog as a side hustle, I'll let the vegan pros veganize these recipes instead of me.

One example is baked cherry tomato feta pasta from Thank You Berry Much.

8. Tomato Mozzarella Gnocchi Bake

In an ideal world, I wish to be the laziest chef ever because I want to be an efficient cook over spending hours and hours in the kitchen on a subpar recipe.

Today, I'm in luck because this tomato mozzarella gnocchi bake from Bianca Zapatka is quick, easy, and cheap.

9. Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

More produce can be stuffed besides bell peppers and mushrooms. Make stuffed cherry tomatoes with the help of Namely Marly.

10. Tomato Hummus Toast

There are more types of toast you should try besides avocado and peanut butter and jelly. Create tomato hummus toast with the help of Georgia Eats.

11. Tomato Relish

Relish is one of the most common condiments in the United States, and it is usually made out of cucumbers (pickle relish).

To change things up, try tomato relish from Crowded Kitchen.

12. Garlic-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Garlic is known for keeping vampires away, but it can do a lot more than that. It is a staple in many dishes, from pasta to soup, and many chefs tend to add extra to make the flavor more powerful.

If you like garlic, make garlic-roasted cherry tomatoes from The Novice Chef.

13. Birria Tacos

When many think of Mexican cuisine, one of the first things that come to mind is tacos, probably due to Taco Tuesday. I usually don't have tacos on Tuesdays, but that would be a great way to use leftovers.

For a more traditional flavor, here are some birria tacos from Dora's Table. You may also enjoy these taco recipes.

14. Blanched Tomatoes

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of blanching almonds for the first time to make fresas con crema (Mexican strawberries and cream). I had difficulty believing that leaving almonds set in a Mason jar filled with boiling water would make the almond skins come off so easily, but it worked very well.

To blanch tomatoes as Masala Herb recommended, the tomatoes spend a short amount of time in boiling water, then put in cold water, and finally can get peeled within 10 minutes of starting the recipe.

15. Red Wine Lentils

My brother told me once that cooking things in wine enhances the flavor of many dishes.

If you have a bit of red wine left in the bottle, you may enjoy these red wine lentils from The First Mess.

16. Marinara Sauce

One iconic symbol of love is the spaghetti and meatball scene from Lady and the Tramp. Yes, the love scene is between two dogs, but I find it incredibly romantic.

No matter the reason for homemade spaghetti, make it with this marinara sauce from Ve Eat Cook Bake.

17. Ratatouille

One of my favorite childhood movies is Ratatouille where a rat named Remy strives to be a successful chef in Paris. I was like many kids who did not understand that rats in the kitchen are a big no-no, which was evident towards the end of the movie when the restaurant he worked in closed.

On the bright side, ratatouille has more meanings than a mere movie. Make ratatouille with the help of Plant-Based on a Budget.

18. Tomato Orzo

Orzo is a fun pasta because it looks a lot like rice, except it's pasta.

If you want to change things up, create tomato orzo with the assistance of Plant Based RD.

19. Garlic Tomato Focaccia

It is surprising how many types of bread there are in the world. For instance, focaccia is an Italian bread flavored with many herbs and sometimes gets stuffed with things like tomatoes or olives.

Try garlic tomato focaccia from Cooking With Parita

20. Air Fryer Cherry Tomatoes

I once got an air fryer for Christmas from my parents because my mom offered to gift us each one. It was one of those appliances that looks cute in a Kohl's Christmas ad, but it has hardly been used since. I failed at making homemade fries, but that is another story for another day.

If you are a decent user of your air fryer, I recommend air fryer cherry tomatoes, which is a recipe by Beautiful Ingredient.

21. Tomato Gazpacho

High school Spanish classes aren't great history learning points for gastronomy, but I can give a summary for you, which made any food project confusing and complicated.

Spain and a few other European countries colonized the Americas hundreds of years ago. Spain was in control of over 20 countries in what is known today as Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Cuba, and more). The Spaniards were influenced by the indigenous peoples' food and vice versa. The conquistadores brought chocolate to Europe while Spain spread some of their famous dishes, like gazpacho, across Latin America.

This history lesson ends with recommending this tomato gazpacho from ShortGirlTallOrder and more Mexican recipes.

22. Tomato Panzanella Salad

Panzanella is a type of Tuscan salad that is normally made with bread, tomatoes, and onions.

If that sounds good, make tomato panzanella salad with the help of Minimalist Baker.

23. Tomato Chutney

I grew up with basic tomato-based condiments, like ketchup, marinara sauce, and mild salsa. I had never heard of chutney until recently, a spicy Indian condiment. It takes many forms, from a peanut garnish to a tomato relish.

Here is tomato chutney from Holy Cow Vegan.

24. Marinated Tomatoes

Some recipes are deceiving for their prep versus the total time it takes to make. This marinated tomato recipe from Pinch of Yum mentions that it takes 10 minutes to make, but the tomatoes must stay in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Another example is the recipes that claim to take 30 minutes or less. Most of the time, I haven't finished chopping the veggies and measuring the ingredients before the 30 minutes is up.

25. Roasted Tomato Sandwich

Tomatoes tend to be a topping on a sandwich but can also be the main event. Here is a roasted tomato sandwich recipe from This Savory Vegan.

26. Frittata

A frittata is an Italian dish similar to a Spanish omelet, which sounds terrific for breakfast.

Make vegan frittata with the help of Jessica in the Kitchen.

27. Tomato Lox and Cream Cheese Bagels

Bagels are one of my favorite things for breakfast, with a Clif Bar, some fruit, and vegan chocolate milk.

If you also like bagels, I recommend having tomato lox and cream cheese bagels from Carrots and Flowers. For more breakfast inspiration, check out these vegan breakfast recipes.

28. Tofu Burritos

My most well-liked shirt is my cat taco T-shirt with cats as tacos and burritos on a starry background. It has worn out over the years but still stands out enough to get compliments when I go to the grocery store.

If you prefer actual burritos, make tofu burritos with the help of Food with Feeling.

29. Buffalo Chicken Nachos

When I was a kid, I used to watch a soap opera that my mom was into called Days of Our Lives. I would get home from school, warm up some chips and cheese, and then watch a prerecording or it live on TV.

Nowadays, the only soap operas I watch are different telenovelas on Netflix. I am watching Romina poderosa (Miss Adrenaline: A Tale of Twins in English).

If you like nachos too, make buffalo chicken nachos with the help of FoodByMaria.

30. Jollof Quinoa

Since taking a non-Western course on Africa, I got fascinated by the diversity this area of the world has. Regarding gastronomy, African cuisines aren't as popular as Chinese, Mexican, and Thai in the United States, but there are so many dishes worth trying that you should make room for them in your kitchen.

For example, jollof is a West African rice dish. To change things up, make jollof quinoa from Healthier Steps. Also, you may enjoy these African recipes.

31. Portobello Kale Calzone

Portobello mushrooms are so tasty. They can be made into veggie burgers, stuffed, and enjoyed similarly to smaller mushrooms.

Give portobello mushrooms a chance by trying this portobello kale calzone recipe from The Simple Veganista.

32. Ethiopian Cabbage

I have a love-hate relationship with cabbage. I'm not used to its peppery taste when I have a lot of cabbage, so I prefer to have a bit of it in a food to vary the flavor.

For all the cabbage fans, create Ethiopian cabbage from Immaculate Bites. Then, check out these cabbage recipes.

33. Okra Succotash

Succotash is a veggie dish that the indigenous people of New England invented. It tends to contain corn, tomatoes, lima beans, and peppers.

Make okra succotash with the help of Love & Zest.

34. Heirloom Tomato Walnut Tart

There are thousands of heirloom tomato varieties. Many have unusual names like "Green Zebra," "Black Krim," and "Mortgage Lifter."

If you like heirloom tomatoes, try tomato walnut tart from Rebel Recipes.

35. Tomato Basil Butter Beans

Butter beans aren't beans soaked in butter. Actually, they are the same thing as lima beans but are sometimes called that because they have a buttery taste.

If you like lima beans, make tomato basil butter beans from ShortGirlTallOrder.

36. Pasta Pomodoro

I eat a lot of pasta dishes. I'm unsure if that is apparent by having about 10 types of pasta noodles in my pantry or since over half of the food I make feature or contain pasta.

No matter what you think of pasta, I recommend giving pasta pomodoro a try, a recipe by Connoisseurus Veg.

37. Blistered Tomatoes

Blistered tomatoes aren't the same as finger slivers, or at least that was my first reaction to this cooking method. Basically, they are sauteed tomatoes and appear as if they have blisters.

Here are blistered tomatoes from Bites of Wellness.

38. Bruschetta

Appetizers are great for parties, hangouts, and family celebrations. A quick one with tomatoes is bruschetta (an Italian way of preparing bread and then generally topped with tomatoes).

If that sounds good, here's a bruschetta recipe from The Edgy Veg.

39. Tomato Tarte Tatin

I grew up with basic desserts, like cookies and cupcakes, instead of fancy-schmancy dishes like tarte tatin, a well-known French dessert.

Basically, the Tatin sisters owned a hotel with a restaurant in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. One of them tried making apple pie but instead accidentally cooked apple slices too long and made them caramelize. She did not want to throw the apples out, so she succeeded in making them into a delicious dessert, which is now known as a tarte tatin. The hotel exists to this day, and it is now called Maison Tatin.

For a tomato version of this masterpiece, create tomato tarte tatin with the help of The Greedy Vegan.

40. Tomato Bisque

Bisque is a type of creamy soup that tends to be made with shellfish. I prefer chunkier soups because I am a huge texture eater. Bisque and cream soups remind me of baby food, but you do you.

If you prefer a creamier soup, try tomato bisque from Oh My Veggies. Then, check out these soup recipes.

41. Hummus, Tomato, and Sumac Salad

I have much to learn and explore in the world of herbs and spices, especially after growing up with hardly any food flavorings besides basic Midwest condiments: ketchup, cheese, or a combo.

Sumac is a common spice in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Some common dishes containing sumac are za'atar (condiment), musakhan (Pakistani chicken dish), and fattoush (Levantine salad).

If you want to sample this spice, I recommend this hummus, tomato, and sumac salad by Rachael Phipps.

42. Tomato Jam

There are more types of jam besides grape. Make tomato jam with the help of Kathy's Vegan Kitchen.

43. Grilled Tomatoes

I wish to own a grill someday to the point that I wanted to buy a grill when they were on sale for Memorial Day Weekend the past two years, but it has not happened yet but maybe will next year.

If you like grilling, make grilled tomatoes from Feasting At Home.

44. Caprese Salad

A caprese salad is a type of Italian salad that contains basil leaves, mozzarella cheese, and tomato slices. If that is up your alley, make caprese salad from Heartful Table.

45. Zucchini and Tomato White Pizza

Growing up, two of my siblings liked experimenting with making homemade pizza from scratch by devising recipes with weird ingredients like pudding. Even though they do not make pizza anymore as adults, we can still remember their time in the kitchen creating pizza.

If you are a pizza connoisseur, try zucchini and tomato white pizza from Sweet Simple Vegan. Then, check out these pizza recipes.

46. Pickled Green Tomatoes

Since I'm working on reducing my food waste one week's groceries at a time, I found five recipes using green tomatoes due to having a lot of green tomatoes on my deck right now.

One suggestion is making pickled green tomatoes with the assistance of A Couple Cooks.

47. Roasted Green Tomato Soup

It's hard to believe it's the beginning of October with the high temperatures in the 90s. No matter the temperature, I find an excuse to make a batch of quality soup.

If you have any green tomatoes handy, create roasted green tomato soup from With Food + Love.

48. Green Tomato Salsa Verde

There are two main ways to make salsa verde. The first one uses tomatillos, a nightshade plant initially grown in Mexico. The second is using green tomatoes leftover from your tomato plants.

Here is some green tomato salsa verde from Yup, it's Vegan.

49. Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Sandwiches come in many shapes and sizes, from the Cuban to the Reuben. If you want to try something new, I suggest this fried green tomato sandwich from Labeless Nutrition.

Note that this recipe calls to top it with spicy aioli. Not all regular aioli is vegan because some recipes contain eggs, so either check your labels before buying or find a vegan aioli recipe online.

50. Fried Green Tomatoes

The last tomato recipe I have for you is fried tomatoes. Make fried green tomatoes with the help of Plant-Based on a Budget.

Conclusion

These tomato recipes showcase the versatility of this ingredient and can be enjoyed in various ways, from appetizers to soups to salads.

If you liked this blog post, you might like my previous ones on peas, asparagus, carrots, and radishes and my future entries on persimmons, bell peppers, potatoes, and eggplants.