Tomato

A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp. 

This sour-salty soup was made for using up sweet, late-season tomatoes.

This Persian stew of tomatoes and spiced eggplant is just the warming dish you need on a cool, fall night.

A classic yakhni pulao is meticulously prepared by simmering basmati rice in an aromatic chicken, lamb, or goat broth. In this version, chicken thighs are simmered in a spiced tomato base along with rice and whole spices like cinnamon and bay leaf. 

Tomato season is dead. Long live tomato season!

In this Trinidadian dish chopped onions, peppers, and chiles get sizzled in hot oil before they’re poured over broiled peak-season tomatoes.

Tomato slices are salted ahead and then set into a garlicky, somewhat spicy olive oil bath with Cotija, a dry-aged Mexican cheese. 

My grandma used to make a version of this dish using pork and showers of Parmesan. I have updated it to include ground chicken and miso for a lighter, late-summer dish with equally deep flavor,  but feel free to use whatever ground meat you prefer. Gently poaching the meatballs is not only faster than roasting, but means none of their flavor is lost to a baking sheet.

The zestiest chicken thighs, a peachy chaat, and more reader favorites from this month.

Do your dead-of-winter self a favor.

This Persian rice dish, known as kateh gojeh farangi, is the ideal late summer comfort food. The cinnamon tames the natural acidity of tomatoes, creating a sweet-savory aroma and flavor.

Snatch up summer’s last big, juicy heirloom tomatoes and join Sohla El-Waylly for a grilled naan and tomato party. Grated raw tomato and ghee-sizzled nigella seeds create a base for pretty-in-pink raita and do double duty smeared on the naan during grilling. Meanwhile, big tomato wedges get tossed in spiced yogurt before charring on the grill. The dough for the naan is sticky and soft, but don’t be tempted to add flour. A supple and moist dough is key to a tender, bubbly bread. Just keep kneading and the dough will grow bouncy and smooth. If you haven’t worked much with yeast, don’t fear! Flatbread is a forgiving place to start playing with fermentation.

The one rule here is to use all of the cheese.

In this pizza, which is reminiscent of a Sicilian pie, the dough is enriched with whole-wheat or rye flour, then topped with a thin layer of anchovy-spiked tomato sauce (skip the fish, if you wish), and once it comes out of the oven, grated Parmesan and a mountain of greens. You have several pan options: For the thinnest crust with the crispiest bottom and edges, use a 13x9" rimmed baking sheet. If you don’t have one, you can also use a 10" or 12" cast-iron skillet: Your dough will be a bit thicker, more pillowy, and not as crisp. Or you can also easily double the recipe and use an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet. Just make sure to plan ahead: This dough needs to rise in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

This adaptable Thai salad with beef, aromatics, and plenty of herbs and lime juice is as spicy as it is bright.

Too much zucchini? We've got you covered.

These sautéed tomatoes are rich, silky, and endlessly versatile. 

Let the dressed tomatoes sit an hour or so before serving so they can soak up maximum flavor.

This dish of saucy, seared paneer channels the flavors traditionally found in matar paneer—coriander, cumin, chile, and ginger—into a quick-cooking cherry tomato sauce that's packed with bright spring-y sugar snap peas. If you can’t find paneer, give this a try with another sturdy non-melty cheese like Halloumi or queso fresco. Or think of it as a simple sauce you can serve over any protein, like a crispy-skinned salmon fillet, seared shell-on shrimp, sliced feta, or even just a bed of salted yogurt. 

Spicy, funky, and sweet!

There’s so much you can do with this workhorse staple ingredient.

Whether you're looking for ways to doctor up canned tomatoes or use summer's ripest fruits to top pasta, fish, chicken, and more, your new favorite tomato sauce recipe is here.

Pancetta, garlic, and jammy slow-cooked tomatoes bring big, concentrated flavor to these brothy clams. 

An easy, chile-spiked tomato salsa for all your taco needs.