Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes

By Jess Smith

4.78

Published Aug 12, 2021•Updated Jul 15, 2024

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Is there anything better in late summer than fresh tomatoes? Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes are the simplest summer side – add just a few ingredients to let the flavor of juicy tomatoes shine. 

overhead image of cherry tomatoes in a white bowl

Tomato season is here! We’re deep in BLTs, fresh green salads with cherry tomatoes, and this simple side dish that lets the tomatoes be the star. If you’ve got great summer tomatoes, try this dish (and this one too). It’s delicious and super easy too!

Simple Summer Sides

All this week we’re celebrating simple summer sides! It’s hot outside and beautiful produce is in-season, so I know we’re all looking for more ways to prepare those vegetables. 

Follow along as I share my five current favorite summer sides that use one vegetable, pantry staples, and maybe a few herbs or aromatics to round things out. It will include:

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What Herbs to Serve with Tomatoes

Basil is classic, but try serving your fresh tomatoes with parsley, cilantro, green onions / scallions, or chives. Basil and cilantro will lose their bright green color more quickly, so if you’d like to make the dish ahead, use parsley, green onions, or chives. 

How long to Marinate Tomatoes

You don’t need to marinate the tomatoes for long to let the flavors develop. At least 2 hours is ideal to let the tomatoes release some of their juices and to let them soak up the flavors of the balsamic vinegar and garlic. For the most fresh flavor, serve them within 8 hours but leftovers will still be delicious for a couple of days. 

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More Recipes with Fresh Tomatoes

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4.78 from 9 votes

Balsamic Marinate Tomatoes

Is there anything better in late summer than fresh tomatoes? Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes are the simplest summer side – add just a few ingredients to let the flavor of juicy tomatoes shine.
To adjust the servings in this recipe, click on the number next to servings.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
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Equipment

  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Mixing Bowl

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped Fresh Herbs (like parsley, basil, green onions / scallions, or cilantro)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (see note)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Honey
  • 1 pound Tomatoes, any variety, sliced or chopped (see note)
  • Fresh Black Pepper, for serving

Instructions 

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and honey.
  • Gently fold in tomatoes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
  • Just before serving, gently stir the tomatoes to coat in dressing. Top with some fresh cracked black pepper.

Notes

Kosher Salt – I use Morton’s Kosher Salt to test recipes. If using table salt, reduce by about half. If using Diamond Kosher Salt, increase by about 25%. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to salt, so be sure to taste and adjust as you go. 
Tomatoes – Use the best tomatoes you can find – preferably those that are in-season, from the farmer’s market or grown in your own backyard. Cherry or grape tomatoes are always great in this salad and can often be reliably good if bought from the grocery store. If using large tomatoes, slice them into wedges. If using smaller tomatoes, just slice them in half.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 997IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $3.00
Calories: 145
Keyword: easy recipe, easy recipe ideas, easy side dish, gluten free, no cook recipe, summer, tomatoes, vegetable side dish, vegetarian
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

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4.78 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. This will make an outstanding Balsamic Bruschetta, with fresh grated Parmesan cheese over the top! I’ll be picking up a loaf of Italian bread soon, to try it, and will let you know the result. Thank you! 😊

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This balsamic marinated tomatoes is top notch! Sometimes I add red onion, sometimes not. I also use just red onion marinated in this sauce alone, fantastic! Thank you so much. Lynnette

    Reply