What Are Cherry tomatoes and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about cherry tomatoes and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 314 recipes to cook tonight.

What are cherry tomatoes?

Cherry tomatoes are the small, round, intensely sweet tomatoes that get eaten by the handful before they ever reach the cutting board. They run from thumb-tip size up to a small walnut, and a ripe one tastes brighter and more candy-sweet than any slicing tomato.

Most are red. You will also see yellow, orange, dark "black" varieties, and green-shouldered heirlooms that stay streaky even when ripe.

They grow like weeds in summer, which is why a single plant can bury you in fruit by August.

Ways to Use Cherry Tomatoes

Raw is where they earn their keep. Toss them whole into a salad, skewer them for an appetizer, or just snack on them straight. Halve the larger ones so dressing can reach the inside; leave small ones whole.

Heat changes them completely. Roast a tray at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes and they collapse into sweet, jammy blisters with concentrated flavor.

That is the move behind a Roasted Cherry Tomato & Feta Tart, and the same blistered tomatoes scattered over eggs make a Chorizo, Cherry Tomato & Feta Frittata sing.

They also hold up to a quick saute. A handful burst in a hot pan with garlic and olive oil becomes an instant pasta sauce in the time it takes to boil the noodles. Green Beans with Mushrooms & Cherry Tomatoes leans on that same fast burst.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Cherry tomatoes love fat and salt. Fresh mozzarella, feta, goat cheese, and a good olive oil all set off their sweetness, and basil is the classic herb partner. They play well with cucumber, corn, olives, and anything off the grill.

The sweetness intensifies as they cook, so taste before you add sugar to a sauce; you may not need any.

The usual mistake is refrigerating them. Cold below about 55°F (13°C) kills the aroma and turns the flesh mealy, and that damage does not reverse when they warm back up. Keep them on the counter.

The second mistake is roasting them too cool. A hot oven blisters and caramelizes; a low one just steams them until they weep.

What to Use Instead

Grape tomatoes are the closest swap. They are oblong, a touch firmer and less juicy, with thicker walls that make them better for roasting and hold their shape on a sheet pan. Use them one for one.

Larger cherry types or a ripe campari work too. If all you have is a big slicing tomato, cut it into bite-size wedges and accept that it will be juicier and less sweet.

For a cooked dish, drained canned diced tomatoes cover the flavor even if they lose the fresh pop.

Buying and Storing

Look for taut, glossy skins with no wrinkles or splits, and a green, lively-smelling stem if they are still on the vine. Give the carton a sniff: ripe cherry tomatoes actually smell like tomato. Skip any that are soft or weeping in the bottom of the pack.

Store them stem-side down on the counter and out of direct sun, and they will hold three or four days at peak. On the vine they last a little longer.

The fridge is the enemy of flavor here, so only chill them if a few are about to go and you want to buy a day.

A split or two is fine for cooking right away. If you grow your own, pick when the fruit is fully colored and slips off the vine with a light tug.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Cherry tomatoes are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

樱桃西红柿

British (UK) term

Cherry tomatoes

en français

tomates cerises

en español

tomates cherry

How much do cherry tomatoes weigh?

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Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Recipes using cherry tomatoes

There are 314 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Squash Noodle all’Arrabbiata

The mere sight of this cute-looking yummilicious noodle, served on a plate, will make you salivate, and if you eat it, it will make you reinvigorated too. This Italian dish is a brilliant blend of arrabbiata sauce and squash in the form of noodles. The carefully spiralized noodle and diced tomatoes make this dish very appealing to the eyes. But it doesn’t stop there, its appearance is as great as the taste. Oh… The squash noodles are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre which make the body healthy. They also have a minimal amount of fat, are rich in protein and are relatively low in calories and carbs. It is a great source of energy for the body—and a great delight to the mouth! That’s also very important. Now, let us see how we can prepare this tempting dish. Shall we!

No-Tahini Herb Hummus with Sautéed Onion & Garlic

Bright, herb-forward hummus with no tahini needed. Sautéed onion and garlic blend with fresh parsley, basil, oregano, and coriander into silky chickpeas for a lighter Middle Eastern dip that skips the paste but keeps all the flavor. Ready in 25 minutes.

Arugula, Artichoke & Cherry Tomato Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

Peppery arugula salad with marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto vinaigrette. Quick, healthy Italian-inspired salad ready in 8 minutes.

Domatoules Glyko (Spicy Cherry Tomato Preserves)

Domatoules Glyko (Spicy Cherry Tomato Preserves) recipe

Garlicky Roasted Tomato, Onion & Country Bread Soup

A good way to use up your leftover bread with this garlicky roasted tomato and onion soup! Tons of roasting flavours brings the soup to another level.

Greek Pasta Salad

A quick, easy and tasty greek style salad that can be made with or without the pasta!

Very Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy vegan butternut squash soup blended with blanched almonds for a dairy-free silky texture, finished with curry powder and topped with pepitas, parsley and cherry tomato halves. No cream, no dairy, all velvet.

Mixed Vegetable Salad with Maple, Soy Sauce & Mustard Vinaigrette

Different kinds of fresh vegetables are tossed with this flavourful vinaigrette, it goes well with any kind of main dish, or even good on its own!

Warm Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Greens & Goat Cheese

Juicy, sweet and tender roasted tomatoes, creamy goat cheese, and slightly bitter mixed greens make this mouth-watering pasta dish delicious and nutritious.

Veggie Cheese Sticks

Veggie cheese skewers stacking cool cucumber, fresh basil, cherry tomato, and mozzarella on a stick. A no-cook, five-minute caprese-style snack that's crisp, fresh, and built for parties and lunchboxes.

Easy Pea Pesto Crostini

A quick and easy spread for crostini - little toasts. Easy to pepare for last minute company. Very fresh and light tasting, quite healthy too!

Arugula Cherry Tomato Salad with Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette

Serve this light and scrumptious salad with any your favorite main dish, or can be a great accompaniment for BBQ!

Mixed Salad with Parmesan Croutons

Sweet cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers and crunchy romain lettuce are tossed with a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette, and cheesy Parmesan croutons.

Cherry Tomato & Lettuce Salad with Fresh Mozzarella & Croutons

A quick easy and refreshing salad is ready in ten minutes or so. Sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes, lettuce, fresh mozzarella, mushrooms and crunchy croutons are tossed with a light and tasty lemon-olive oil dressing.

Veggie Kabobs

Fresh cherry tomatoes, colorful bell pepper, white mushroom and red onion, season with olive oil, sesame seeds and parsley leaves, they look good and tastes good, quick and easy.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Taco

We used leftover grilled vegetable salad to make these quick tacos, and they were very yummy!

Warm Arugula Bread Salad

A nice warm salad that highlights simple and fresh flavors and textures. Pan crisped bread cubes add a very nice crunch.

Texas Caviar - Superbowl

Black beans and black-eyed peas tossed with jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and fresh cilantro in zesty Italian dressing. No cooking required. The ultimate game day dip for a crowd.

Green Bean & Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This is a great cold salad. The basil and cherry tomatoes marry perfectly with a high-quality sweet balsamic vinegar along with tender-crisp green and yellow wax beans.

Ranch-Style Steak Kabobs

With only four ingredients you can make this tasty and easy dish easily at home. You can effortlessly prepare it ahead of time for a picnic or have everyone design their own for a customized flavor.

Quinoa & Smoked Tofu Salad

Delicious and loaded with flavor. Quinoa is so versatile to cook. Smoked tofu you can find in Asian grocery store, which does add some smoky flavour and meaty texture. Definitely a keeper!

Mixed Greens with Basil-Balsamic Vinaigrette & Parmesan

Quick and easy way to make a plateful refreshing and flavorful salad. Mixed greens, cucumber, and radish are mixed with basil balsamic dressing, topped with shaved parmesan.

Cherry Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad

There are several kinds of vegetables, goes well with the feta cheese, and very healthy too!

Roasted Broccoli & Tomatoes

Roasted broccoli and tomatoes char at high heat, then get tossed with a Mediterranean mix of lemon, olives, oregano and capers. A bright, low-calorie vegetable side in about 20 minutes.

Minted Edamame Roasted Tomato Canapes

Fresh soybeans (edamame) dip on crackers topped with a roasted cherry tomato. Perfect light tasting finger food when company is coming.

Spinach, Oven-Dried Cherry Tomato & Feta Pizza

Use garlicky olive oil as the base instead of tomato sauce, sauteed spinach, sun-dried or home oven-dried tomatoes and feta cheese are tasty toppings.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza with Basil Pesto & Feta

Grilled pizza is absolutely flavorful, grilling develops the smokey flavor, and crispy texture on both the vegetables and the crust. This easy grilled pizza is spread with basil pesto as the base, topped with grilled fresh summer vegetables and feta cheese, yum, yum!

Fancy Kraft Dinner

Make your Kraft dinner a little bit fancier by adding some juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley leaves. It looks colorful and tastes delicious.

Stove-Top Macaroni & Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

Three words for this recipe ... yum, yum and YUM! Very easy to make and great flavor.

Pasta with Creamy Dill Sauce & Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes

Pasta with creamy dill sauce, a light milk-based sauce built on shallots, garlic, and sherry, tossed with fresh dill, oven-dried cherry tomatoes, and shaved parmesan. A quick, low-fat creamy pasta with bright flavor.

Italian Prosciutto Cheese Sticks

Italian prosciutto, fresh cherry tomatoes and basil leaves, and cheese, these four simple ingredients together are a perfect snack for your New Year's Eve.

Tomato, Basil & Almond Pesto Pasta (Pesto alla Trapanese)

Fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and toasted almonds make this fresh pesto that highlights the fresh ingredients. A very quick, easy and delicious dish! Originates from the Italian village of Trapani on the tip of Sicily.

Guacamole, Refried Black Bean & Cherry Tomato Burrito

Make this easy, tasty yet nutritious burrito for breakfast, lunch, or any time of the day when you feel hungry. It not only fills you up, but also provides you all kinds of nutrients.

Cherry Tomato, Feta-Swiss Cheese & Herbs Bread

A savory bread that's made with cherry tomatoes, feta, Swiss cheese, and lots of fresh herbs will definitely be a winner part at your dinner table. It's cheesy, herbal and moist, and you will find some juicy-sweet explosions in every bite because of these roasted cherry tomatoes.

Italian Roasted Tomatoes, Basil & Spaghetti

This is lovely, fresh, simple, quick and easy pasta dish that can be served as fast as the spaghetti can cook. Fresh Italian flavor rings through and the ingredients are perfectly matched.

Black Bean, Corn & Bell Pepper Salad

Black beans and fresh veggies make a delicious, refreshing yet whole some salad. Serve it as a side dish or a simply delicious main dish with some good quality bread.

Arugula, Cherry Tomato, Corn Salad with Paremesan

This is one of our favorite salad recipes too, quick, easy and delicious. It goes well with almost all the main course. Sometimes we just have it as a light meal and add some croutons on top.

Basil Pesto, Oven-Dried Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Taco Pizzas

These individual taco pizzas are loaded with flavors. Spread with basil pesto, topped with juicy yet chewy, and sweet oven-dried cherry tomatoes, and shredded mozzarella. After baking, they come out cheesy, juicy and delicious!

Cherry Tomato & Basil Vinaigrette

This easy and tasty vinaigrette is so versatile. It can be used as a salad dressing, a light, tasty and refreshing drizzle over cooked fish, or tossed with pasta.

Creamy Corn Chowder with Fresh Basil & Cherry Tomato

Creamy Corn Chowder with Fresh Basil and Cherry Tomato recipe

Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Feta Cheese

Summer squash, zucchini and fennel bulb are all freshly seasonal. Fire up the BBQ, grill these fresh vegetables, toss with juicy cherry tomates, a light and tasty vinaigrette and feta cheese. You can pair it with any grilled meat. Next day the leftover can be wrapped into wraps, or tortillas, or topping for pizza, another quick, easy and delicious meal!

Basil-Mint Zucchini & Cherry Tomato Frittata with Goat Cheese

Frittata is easy and versatile to make, and tastes delicious. Had some zucchini and cherry tomato on hand, also having fresh mint and basil leaves growing in the garden. Needless to say, it came out super delicious.

Quinoa, Toasted Corn & Cherry Tomato Salad with Toasted Walnuts & Feta

Sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, smoky toasted corn, toasted walnuts, black olives and feta cheese are tossed together with extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, parsley and mint, a tasty and flavorful salad that can be served as a side dish or a nutritious and delicious main dish!

Couscous, Lentil & Arugula Salad with Garlic Dijon Vinaigrette

Packed with deliciousness and goodness. A great side dish to go with any main courses, or it can be served as a vegetarian main dish as well.

Cherry Tomato, Mushroom & Olive Pizza

Spread with homemade marinara sauce, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, and topped with sweet cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, kalamata olives, red bell pepper and onions. This easy pizza will for sure satisfy everyone's appetite, be sure to make enough :-)

Asparagus & Roasted Tomatoes with Citrus

A pretty side-dish that can be made ahead of time. Roasted asparagus and tomatoes with a refreshing citrus marinade, a quick and easy and tasty way to serve asparagus with lively colors.

Braised Green Beans in Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Simply braise green beans in a tomato sauce that is cooked with garlic and onion, tasty, juicy and refreshing!

Arugula Salad With Lemon Parmesan Dressing

Arugula salad with a creamy blended lemon-Parmesan dressing, tossed with peppery baby arugula and sweet cherry tomatoes. A bright, 4-ingredient side that comes together in minutes.

Roasted Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes with Arugula, Penne & Goat Cheese Salad

Asparagus is one of our favorite spring vegetables. In this recipe, roasting develops tons of deliciousness from both asparagus and cherry tomatoes, then tossed with penne, peppery arugula and creamy goat cheese with a light vinaigrette. Yum!

Green Bean, Roasted Pepper, & Cherry Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese

These green beans, roasted sweet bell pepper, juicy cherry tomatoes, and topped with goat cheese, drizzling with some fresh lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and chopped parsley, it can be a side dish or a light and tasty snack.

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