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These are the best marinated tomatoes! Full of fresh, garden fresh tomatoes in a herby garlic vinaigrette, these easy marinated tomatoes take minutes to make and are a great way to highlight beautiful tomatoes. Serve this great recipe as a side dish or with slices of crusty bread for an easy appetizer.

a large bowl and two small bowls of marinated tomatoes

It’s here! The moment I’ve been waiting and preparing for the last 6 months is finally here. Tomato season has arrived with loads of ripe tomatoes coming out of the garden! It feels like every flat surface in my kitchen is full with tomatoes of all sizes. The best part of this time of year is that I get to enjoy tomatoes in all my favorite ways, multiple times a day.

I’m using Roma tomatoes on my morning avocado toast, thick heirloom tomato slices fill out summer BLTs, and paste tomatoes to preserve plenty of spaghetti sauce to enjoy in the months to come.

Tip: Using the freshest tomatoes you can source, whether it’s homegrown tomatoes or ones bought locally at your farmers market, will result in tomatoes with the best flavor. Tomatoes from your local big box grocery store are typically picked when they’re still green to prevent bruising during shipping. However, some specialty grocery stores focus on sourcing their produce from local farmers.

What Are Marinated Tomatoes?

Marinated tomatoes, also known as seasoned tomatoes or a tomato salad, are simply what they sound like! Fresh picked tomatoes allowed to rest in a vinegar, herby marinade. Don’t let the simple ingredient list fool you, this dish is more than the sum of its parts.

This tomato marinade recipe features sweet garden tomatoes, fresh garlic, red onion, and fresh herbs soaked in a flavorful vinaigrette marinade of extra virgin olive oil, two kinds of vinegar, lemon juice, and Italian seasonings. The fresh, sweet flavor of the tomatoes are

While you can eat seasoned cherry tomatoes immediately, it’s best to let them marinate at room temperature for an hour or so. Alternatively, you can store vinegar tomatoes in the refrigerator if you’re not going to serve them right away.

a bowl of cherry tomatoes with a bundle of flat-leaf parsley

Marinated Tomatoes Ingredients

Tomatoes – The star of the dish, you’ll want to choose ripe, juicy tomatoes that are at their peak for optimal flavor. The hard part will be which type of tomato to use. With so many types of tomatoes, there are so many great options. I like to use small tomatoes like cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half for bite size pieces. However, any small to medium-sized plum tomatoes, like Roma tomatoes, have a high ratio of flesh to seeds and are a great option. Large tomatoes, like heirloom tomatoes or beefsteaks, are ideal to cut into thick slices and serve layered instead of in a bowl.
Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves lend a punchy, fragrant aroma to the marinated tomato salad. You can adjust the intensity of garlic by how you prepare it. The more you break down the garlic clove, the more of the natural enzyme responsible for its aroma is released, intensifying the flavor. Slices are perfect for a mild flavor and grated or mashed garlic will have a bold, intense flavor.
Onion – I love the color, texture, and flavor of a red onion, but use what you have and enjoy. White, yellow, or sweet onions will all taste delicious. Because the onion is sitting in a marinade, I’d stay clear of green onions as they’ll soften and not hold their texture well.

Marinade

Oil – Use a good quality olive oil. What does that mean exactly? Extra virgin olive oil is the best of the best because due to how minimally its processed. With no heat or chemical used, olives are crushed and pressed within hours after the olives are harvested. The oil extracted from the first pressing is the only oil that can be considered extra virgin, will have the most potent, pure olive flavor.
Vinegars – Red wine vinegar provides a distinct, tangy flavor, while balsamic vinegar adds sweetness. Like all vinegars, you don’t need to use much for a tangy flavor.
Lemon juice – Lemon adds brightness and complexity to the dish and helps to tenderize the tomatoes.
Seasoning – In addition to the fresh herbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper season the salad.
Fresh herbs – Fresh herbs brighten up this marinated tomato salad and are worth adding. I use fresh basil and fresh parsley, but don’t be afraid to experiment to find your favorite.

How To Make The Best Marinated Tomatoes

This Italian tomato recipe is so simple and versatile that it almost seems silly to call it a recipe. However, using a few fresh ingredients and some simple steps result in beautifully marinated tomatoes.

Create Marinade

Whisk 1/4 extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp each red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 2 tbsp each minced parsley and basil in a small bowl.

Combine

Cut 1 pound cherry tomatoes in half and place them into a shallow bowl. For large, garden-variety tomatoes, like beefsteak, slice tomatoes and arrange them in a single layer in a shallow dish.

Next, pour the marinade over the tomatoes. Gently toss to coat the tomatoes, arranging so that the tomatoes are in the marinade.

Marinade

Let the tomatoes sit in the marinade for at least an hour at room temperature to let the flavors meld. After two hours move to the refrigerator to continue marinading.

Enjoy

Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the marinade and enjoy.

Store

Cover the tomato salad and refrigerate up to 3 days for the best flavor and texture.

How To Use Marinated Tomatoes

Once you discover how delicious the tomatoes are, you’ll want to add them to everything.

Toast a piece of crusty bread and dip into the marinade with a generous helping of tomatoes for a snack or appetizer.
Instead of sauce, spoon some marinated cherry tomatoes over flat bread or pizza.
Toss with pasta and your favorite summer vegetables for a quick pasta salad.
Marinated tomatoes make an excellent garnish for dips such as hummus, whipped feta, or creamy artichoke.
Spoon the tomatoes into your favorite salad or grain bowls and top it using the marinade as a dressing.

Variations

Use this recipe as a starting point

Add your favorite cheese – Crumble goat cheese or feta cheese and let marinade for a salty, creamy addition to the salad. If you’re using large slicers, layer with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Top the salad with a heaping helping of freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese.
Herbs – Flat leaf parsley and basil are familiar Italian flavors that pair so effortlessly with tomatoes but feel free to experiment with chives, thyme, oregano, or sage.
Add fresh vegetables – Toss with diced peppers, cucumbers, or zucchini for added crunch and flavor.

Helpful Tips

The tomatoes have the fullest flavor at room temperature so let them warm up on the counter from the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
Use flaky salt to sprinkle over the tomatoes right before serving.
The marinated tomato salad will taste better the longer it sits. But too much and they’ll start to get soggy. I find that marinading for 2-6 hours is the sweet spot, which is helpful for planning when serving guests.

I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and rate the recipe. Tag photos #Lockremhomestead over on Instagram when you share pictures of your Marinated Tomatoes!