10-Minute Marinated Tomatoes

These 10-Minute Marinated Tomatoes are so simple to make, yet they make a big impact. Ripe, garden fresh tomatoes, marinated in lemon juice and olive oil, with a sprinkling of fresh herbs is delicious on its own, on top of ricotta or avocado toast, or as a side dish with dinner.

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This year was my first ever garden and it has been so exciting to experience. When I saw these ripe, juicy, bright red tomatoes, I knew that I had to make a delicious marinated tomato dish with them. I served this 10-Minute Marinated Tomatoes recipe for breakfast on toasted no knead bread spread with my creamy ricotta cheese and it was everything!

First, I have to confess that most of my garden was eaten by the local deer, but I wasn't even mad about it. They loved my green beans, were crazy for cilantro, and they even enjoyed a few long hot peppers, but for some reason they left my tomatoes. Thank goodness, because all throughout tomato season, my favorite thing to do is slice some heirloom tomatoes and make this dish.

It's nothing fancy, takes only minutes. Garden tomatoes (you don't have to grow them. You can get them at the grocery store), any fresh herbs you can find, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper, and then maybe some crumbled goat's cheese or feta. I didn't think it warranted a recipe, but when I posted them on social media, hundreds of people asked for the it. So here it is, but feel free to play with it and make it your own.

Ingredients & Variations

Please enjoy the following picture of juicy tomatoes, herbs, and mildly spicy peppers that I grew with my own hands, and that inspired this marinated tomato recipe.

I'm sure I will make this again and take pictures of everything I used, but imagine there is a lemon, some olive oil, flaky salt, and some fresh cracked black pepper in the photo. Beautiful! Here are a few ways to enjoy fresh Summer flavors in these marinated tomatoes.

• Tomatoes I gotta say, being my first time gardening, I don't think I even know what kind these are, but I normally use a combination of campari, multicolor grape, or roma tomatoes. You can use whatever type of tomatoes you prefer.
• Keep it simple The morning that I made this recipe, I used fresh parsley, lemon thyme, and chives, but you can use any herbs you like.
• Italian Fresh basil and oregano, along with a splash of balsamic vinegar, would give this an amazing Italian twist.
• Visit the Med Add some tarragon and thinly sliced fennel bulb, garnish with orange supremes and chopped pistachios, for a Mediterranean vibe.
• Go Greek Sprinkle with dill, oregano, and chives, and then crumble some feta over top.

See recipe card below for measurements.

Instructions

This marinated tomato salad couldn't be simpler and making them requires no kitchen skills harder than slicing ripe tomatoes and chopping herbs... oh and squeezing lemons. But that's it. So easy! The only reason I have all the instructions is because the pictures are so darn pretty, so read it over and don't forget to oooh and aaah over the photos.

Finally, in the process photos I'm using small tomatoes because that's all that was growing at the end of the season and I needed to use them up. But it's good with both full-size Heirloom tomatoes and little tiny ones.

Step 1: Slice tomatoes into about ¼ inch thick slices.

Step 2: Arrange tomato slices on a platter or shallow dish in a single layer. Slice some small tomatoes in half and place them in the gaps between sliced tomatoes.

Step 3: If using, slice pepper(s) in very thin slices. Remove seeds if heat sensitive. Sprinkle on top of the tomatoes

Step 4: Chop up herbs and sprinkle over the tomatoes and peppers.

Step 5: Squeeze half the lemon over all of the herbs and tomatoes.

Step 6: Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste a small tomato and add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper, if needed. Garnish with soft goat cheese, feta cheese, or even blue cheese, if desired.

Make Tomato-Ricotta Toast

Toast slices of crusty bread. Sourdough, ciabatta, or a rustic artisan bread would be great.

Step 1: Spread with creamy ricotta or mashed avocado.

Step 2: Top with marinated tomatoes and sprinkle with a little more flaky salt. Enjoy!

This is THE breakfast of Summer in my family. We love to serve these lemony marinated tomatoes on top of ricotta toast or even avocado toast. Sometimes we'll add a simple poached egg on top or on the side. It's a stunningly bright and delicious way to start the day. It would also make an easy appetizer served on crostini with fresh mozzarella or burrata or alongside grilled steaks.

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