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Tomatoes are the mighty Mexican crop that has inspired some of the world’s most famous dishes from pizza to pico de gallo. If you find yourself with a glut of them in the summer, you might be looking for new and unexpected ways to use tomatoes. One exciting presentation is a tomato tartare, which offers a vegetarian version of the popular dish. A traditional tartare sees raw fish or meat cut into small pieces and shaped into a cylindrical cake.
While proteins like steak and tuna are the typical centerpieces of tartare, tomatoes offer the same, if not more, umami richness and a juicy yet delicate texture. Many types of tomatoes would work well, and you can even skip the prep work and use canned tomatoes like these Mutti canned crushed tomatoes.
You’ll need to drain the tomatoes of most of their juices to form that classic cylindrical mound. You can leave them to drain slowly in a mesh colander like this set overnight. Once the tomatoes have drained, have fun picking complementary ingredients like aromatics, herbs, and other veggies. For the classic plating, use a metal cylinder like this one placed at the center of the serving dish. To bring out the most flavor, finish with a drizzle of an acidic ingredient like vinegar or citrus juice.
Ingredient pairings for tomato tartare
Just as tomatoes are a common ingredient in many different culinary cultures, you can draw from different cuisines to make an array of tomato tartares. You can go with a classic French or Italian profile, using pickled veggies like cornichons, capers, and olives. Fresh herbs like sweet basil, parsley, or cilantro will bring a pop of color and flavor. A high-quality extra virgin olive oil like this from California Olive Ranch, which ranked high on our list of the best olive oils, would bring a vegetal fat to season and bind the tartare. You can also stir in a creamy dijon mustard and a splash of vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar is a sweet and tangy acid that will take tomato tartare to the next level. However, sherry or champagne vinegar will also pair nicely. Dairy lovers can add cheese to the mix; a hard aged cheese like thinly shaved Parmesan would make a nice foundation over which to layer tartare. You can also top the tartare with a cube of creamy feta cheese or a spoonful of ricotta. A dash of Worcestershire sauce, or these Bragg’s liquid aminos for vegetarians, would amp up the umami flavor of the tartare. If you’re going in a Mexican direction, you can use lime juice instead of vinegar, diced pickled jalapeños and pickled red onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and a topping of avocado chunks.
