With cherry tomatoes plump and ready for picking, it’s time to decide on what to serve with cherry tomatoes. And we’ve come up with a few ideas for dishes you can serve with these juicy tomatoes.
Cherry tomatoes have a similar texture to grapes, with a ton of flavor and bursting with juice. Not only do they deliver sweet, tart flavors, but cooking with them yields the tastiest and most vibrant dishes.
The bright red delights pair beautifully with various dishes, adding a fantastic taste. Cherry tomatoes are always a good choice, and the below-recommended accompaniments prove our point.
Best Side Dishes For Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes offer the perfect balance of sweet and acidic and are incredibly versatile. As such, several dishes complement cherry tomatoes beautifully. And we’ve created the ultimate list of what to serve with cherry tomatoes for you.
Here are some of the most delicious dishes to pair with cherry tomatoes:
Shrimp Pasta
Italian shrimp pasta is one of the most traditional dishes to pair with tomatoes. Imagine freshly sliced cherry tomatoes coupled with an eruption of flavor from succulent shrimp and herbs. It’s the equivalent of soaking up the warm sun. It’s that delicious.
The sweetness of the cherry tomatoes compliments the host of flavors delivered by the garlic, lemon, cream, and tender shrimp. In addition, the cherry tomatoes give the dish a vibrant color and an additional level of acidity.
Watermelon Salad
Cherry tomatoes pair perfectly with watermelon salad. They work well together because their raw, crisp freshness makes this a healthy salad. The cherry tomatoes add an excellent, plump but juicy texture to this salad.
Their mildly acidic flavor blends well with the watermelon’s sweetness. Moreover, it gives the salad a sharp taste, adding a tangy element to the dish.
Because cherry tomatoes and watermelon are naturally sweet and bursting with juices, add a pinch of pepper to balance things out.
Shrimp Tacos
If you love shrimp tacos, pairing them with cherry tomatoes will be a no-brainer. The robust and citrusy flavor of cilantro and peppers in the tacos paired with the cherry tomatoes elevates the shrimp.
The herbs brighten up the dish, complimenting the earthy, fresh flavor of the cherry tomatoes perfectly. Plus, the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes adds balance to the acidity of the lime. The fresh cherry tomatoes also counter the oiliness in the shrimp very well.
Mexican Chicken Tinga
The flavor pairing of the cherry tomatoes and Mexican chicken tinga is a classic in Mexican cuisine. Cherry tomatoes are packed with rich flavor and go incredibly well with chicken.
Their refreshing taste can balance the rich and savory flavors of the chicken and spices. The cherry tomatoes are reduced to a sauce providing a delicious binding element in the dish.
Greek Salmon
Greek salmon is pan-fried, giving it a wonderfully crisp skin and melt-in-your-mouth tender flesh. The rupture of juices from the cherry tomatoes lends a pleasantly sweet acidity to the salmon.
Cherry tomatoes compliment Greek salmon by adding freshness and a fabulous pop of color to the mix. They also compliment the creamy, savory flavors of the garlic and lemon sauce typically paired with the salmon.
Pesto Pizza Toast
You may have tasted pesto pizza toast on its own. But adding cherry tomatoes makes a beautiful addition to this simple dish. The tomatoes create a distinct balance of sweet and savory flavors.
The sweetness from the tomatoes is not too overpowering either but is subtle enough to come through. The pesto has a rich and herby flavor, and the acid in the tomato adds another layer to that.
Crusted Halibut
A classic dish of crusted halibut with asparagus and oyster beignet is another great pairing for cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes make an excellent accompaniment to this flat fish and are often served as a confit.
The crusted halibut is crisp with some acidity that mirrors some of the tomato’s fresh flavor tones. And the acidity in the tomatoes counteracts the fattiness and oil used to fry the halibut and beignet.
Fish Soup
The key ingredients in this soup are fish, clam juice, and seafood broth. These ingredients make it a creamy soup rather than a watery one.
Cherry tomatoes combined with the flavors in the fish soup harmonize beautifully. In addition, the acidic taste of the fish is well balanced by the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes. The textures and flavors also pair well with the tomatoes adding the ideal amount of juiciness.
Conclusion
We know cherry tomatoes are sweet and juicy. But some dishes may or may not pair well with them. Ultimately, deciding what to serve with cherry tomatoes is all about balance.