Grilled tomatoes are the epitome of summer! Juicy, flavorful, and tender, they become even sweeter on the grill as their sugars caramelize. A delicious healthy side dish, perfect for summertime gatherings.
Back when we were catering, these delicious little guys often happened during our summer events. People were quite enamored with them. Grilling tomatoes brings out their incredible flavor- allowing the sugars in the tomato to caramelize and concentrate, bringing out their inherent sweetness. Here we add oregano and garlic, giving them a savory Mediterranean flavor profile.
What I love about them is how they go with everything! And the leftover tomatoes can be repurposed in many ways (scroll down!)—a quick summer side dish with a huge payoff.
INGREDIENTS IN GRILLED TOMATOES
Whip up the simple marinade: olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper, then toss with the tomato halves, adding the fresh oregano.
Grill over medium-high heat, on a clean, greased grill. Saving any extra marinade, place tomatoes open-side down on the hot grill, cover, and grill 5-7 minutes (longer or shorter, depending on size) or until good grill marks appear. Turn them over using a flat metal spatula. If they are sticking, grill a couple of minutes longer until they release themselves.
Continue grilling right side up, covering, until tender but not collapsing- another 5-ish minutes.One tender place on a serving platter, and pour any extra marinade over top. I like to make sure there is a little oregano on each tomato.
If grilling other things, keep tomatoes in a warm oven or serve at room temperature.
WAYS TO USE THEM!
Whenever I make these I usually make more than I need because I love them as leftovers. They are really good chilled and I love them in Mediterranean salads,
As a side dish. Perfect with grilled fish, meat or grilled tofu.
Blend or mash into a lovely sauce. Think marinara, but with a smoky flavor- so good!
Add to salads! I like cutting them up small add adding to salads during the week.
Add to soups. Dice them up and think of them like fire-roasted tomatoes!
Make Bruschetta. Chop them up small and make bruschetta.
Enhance Mezze Platters. Quarter them and add to Mezze platters or serve over hummus or baba.
