Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Sun-dried tomatoes are tomatoes dehydrated until chewy and intensely concentrated, sold dry-packed or jarred in oil, and prized for their deep umami-sweet tang in Mediterranean cooking.
How to buy
Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes are leathery and need rehydrating before use, while oil-packed versions are softer and ready straight from the jar. Look for a deep red-brown color -- not overly black, which signals scorching -- and, for oil-packed jars, oil that isn't cloudy or rancid-smelling.
How to store
Dry-packed tomatoes keep for many months in a sealed bag in the pantry. Oil-packed jars should be refrigerated after opening and used within a couple of weeks, always keeping the tomatoes fully submerged in oil; oil-packed garlic-and-tomato mixtures should never be left unrefrigerated at room temperature for food-safety reasons.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Intensely concentrated tomato flavor -- sweet, tangy, and savory with a raisin-like depth from the drying process. Oil-packed versions pick up extra richness from the oil and any herbs or garlic packed alongside them.
- Texture
- Chewy and leathery when dry-packed; softer and slightly silky once rehydrated in water or oil. Chopped fine, they practically melt into sauces and dressings.
- Aroma
- A deep, sweet, almost musky tomato aroma, far more intense than fresh tomato.
How to prepare
- Rehydrated — Soaked in warm water or stock to soften before chopping.
- Oil-packed — Jarred in olive oil, often with garlic and herbs, ready to use straight away.
- Blended into paste — Pureed into a spread for sandwiches, crostini, and dips.
- Chopped into dishes — Scattered into pastas, salads, and grain bowls for a hit of concentrated tomato.
Classic dishes
American
- Stuffed chicken breast — Chicken breast filled with sun-dried tomato, spinach, and cheese before baking.
Italian
- Sun-dried tomato pesto — Sun-dried tomatoes blended with olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts or almonds.
- Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes — Pasta tossed with sun-dried tomato, garlic, and oil or cream.
- Sun-dried tomato cream sauce — A cream sauce flavored with chopped sun-dried tomato and garlic for pasta or chicken.
- Risotto with sun-dried tomatoes — Risotto stirred with chopped sun-dried tomato for color and tang.
- Focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes — Flatbread dough studded with sun-dried tomato pieces before baking.
- Caprese salad with sun-dried tomatoes — A variation on the classic combining fresh mozzarella, basil, and sun-dried tomato.
- Panzanella with sun-dried tomato — A bread salad variation leaning on the concentrated flavor of sun-dried tomato.
- Sun-dried tomato tapenade crostini — A spread of sun-dried tomato, olives, and capers served on toasted bread.
- Antipasto platter — Sun-dried tomatoes served alongside cured meats and cheeses.
Mediterranean
- Tapenade-style olive spread — Olives blended with sun-dried tomato and capers into a savory spread.
- Mediterranean orzo salad — Orzo tossed with sun-dried tomato, feta, and olives.
- Grain bowl with sun-dried tomatoes — Farro or quinoa tossed with sun-dried tomato, herbs, and olive oil.
Greek
- Sun-dried tomato and feta dip — A blended spread of sun-dried tomato and feta served with pita.
Middle Eastern
- Sun-dried tomato hummus — Classic chickpea hummus blended with sun-dried tomato for extra depth.
Cajun & Creole
- Muffuletta olive salad — Some versions of the New Orleans sandwich spread include chopped sun-dried tomato.