Stewed Tomatoes with Butter Toasted Croutons Recipe

Name: Stewed Tomatoes With Butter Toasted Croutons
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: Tomatoes:; 2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 3 cups), or 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 teaspoons sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 6 basil leaves, chopped; Croutons; 2 or 3 slices crusty French or Italian bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; Garlic salt

In This Recipe

How To Make Stewed Tomatoes
The Importance of Sugar
How to Peel Fresh Tomatoes
Freezing Stewed Tomatoes

Stewed tomatoes is one dish I've never had any place but at home, cooked by my mother.

I've never seen them on a menu anywhere, have you? Too bad, too, as they are truly delicious and so easy to make.

How To Make Stewed Tomatoes

All you do is cook peeled, chopped tomatoes on the stovetop with some butter, a little sugar, salt and pepper, and herbs (I like to use basil) until the tomatoes completely fall apart and the flavors have had a chance to meld. Top the hot stewed tomatoes with a few crunchy homemade croutons, and you have a beautiful tomato side dish.

Don't Skip the Sugar

Here's a tip: do not leave out the butter or sugar! While you can reduce the sugar a bit if you want, some sugar is needed to balance the acidity of the tomatoes—unless you are using unusually sweet tomatoes. Butter is absolutely necessary for the taste of this dish.

This batch of stewed tomatoes was made with fresh heirloom tomatoes from the market. The better quality tomato you start with, the better the result will be. That said, during most of the year when farm fresh juicy tomatoes are not available we will make stewed tomatoes with good quality canned tomatoes.

What To Serve With Stewed Tomatoes

You can serve stewed tomatoes as a side to roast chicken, baked fish, or as a base for poached eggs as in shakshuka. You can serve it alongside or tossed with pasta, or with white beans. One reader mentioned they love serving it with mac and cheese.

Our favorite dish to serve alongside stewed tomatoes? Tuna Macaroni Salad. There's something about the buttery, warm stewed tomatoes that is the perfect balance for cool fresh tuna salad.

How to Peel Fresh Tomatoes

Blanching tomatoes first makes it easy to remove the skins. To blanch tomatoes, score their ends and place them in boiling water for one minute. Remove and allow to cool until you can handle them. Once they are cool to the touch the skins will slide off easily.

Can You Freeze Stewed Tomatoes?

Freezing stewed tomatoes is a great way to easily preserve summer's bounty. Store in a freezer safe container or zip top bag for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator, and reheat over medium heat until heated through.

What to Serve With Homemade Stewed Tomatoes

Stewed Tomatoes With Butter Toasted Croutons

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings 3 servings

This recipe uses unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce the salt and garlic salt in the recipe.

The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Use less or more to taste.

Tomatoes:

2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 3 cups), or 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 basil leaves, chopped

Croutons

2 or 3 slices crusty French or Italian bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Cook the tomatoes with butter, sugar, and seasonings:

Put peeled, chopped tomatoes, butter, sugar, salt and pepper into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked, soft, and the flavors have blended.

Add chopped basil and add more butter, sugar, salt and pepper if needed for balance.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Make the croutons while the tomatoes simmer:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small frying pan on medium heat. Add the bread cubes, and arrange in a single layer on the pan. Let gently cook on medium heat so that the bread dries out and gets slightly toasted. Turn pieces over to toast other sides.

Cook for about 10 minutes or until the croutons are crunchy dry, and slightly toasted. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Remove from heat.

Elise Bauer
Serve:

Serve stewed tomatoes with a few croutons on top of each individual serving, and the rest of the croutons available in a small bowl to add as desired.

Stewed Tomatoes with Croutons — Elise Bauer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
233	Calories
13g	Fat
28g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories	233
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g	16%
Saturated Fat 7g	36%
Cholesterol 31mg	10%
Sodium 469mg	20%
Total Carbohydrate 28g	10%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 42mg	208%
Calcium 52mg	4%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 749mg	16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.