Smoked tomatoes are so versatile and can be used for a delicious smoky pasta sauce, salsa, smoked tomato soup or even as a pizza sauce for a delicious smoky pizza.

They may not be the first thing you might think of smoking on your smoker but there are few easy smoker recipes that can be used for such a variety of cooking purposes.

Smoked Tomatoes Recipe on the Pellet Grills

What to Do With Smoked Tomatoes

Smoked tomatoes can be used in many different contexts for optimum flavour results. Here are some ideas:

• Blitz with basil and garlic for a smoky pizza sauce
• Add garlic, basil, fresh chilli and olive oil for a pasta marinara sauce
• Blitz for a delicious smoked tomato soup (e.g. Spanish Gazpacho soup)
• Add to a Moroccan style tagine for extra smokiness
• Use in curries for extra smoky taste
• Add cilantro (coriander), garlic and chilli for a smoky Mexican salsa
• Blitz up with chillies for an Enchilada sauce
• Serve as a delicious side on its own with your protein of choice
• Smoked Tomato Salad with fresh mozzarella

Can You Put Tomatoes in a Smoker?

You can basically smoke any food in your smoker, so yes you can put tomatoes in a smoker. Smoked tomatoes are so versatile and can be used for salsas, pasta sauces, smoked tomato soup, smoked pizza sauce or for adding to curries for extra smokiness.

What is the Best Wood For Smoking Tomatoes?

If you are smoking delicate fruit or vegetables you don’t want a strong smoke taste which will overpower them. Apple wood, cherry or oak wood work well with tomatoes because their smoke profile is quite mild.

Smoked Tomatoes For Sauce

If you want to make a delicious pasta or pizza sauce with smoked tomatoes try this method:

• Add 28oz (800g) of smoked tomatoes to your blender with 1 tbsp olive oil
• Add 2 whole garlic cloves (skins removed)
• Put a large handful of picked basil leaves into the blender
• Season with salt and black pepper and then blitz until you have a smooth sauce
• Optional – 1 deseeded red chilli blitzed in too

Smoked Tomatoes on Pellet Grill Method

• Add wood pellets of choice to the hopper of your pellet grill (apple, cherry or oak are good here) and set your pellet smoker to 225F or 107C
• Wash the tomatoes and then pat them dry
• Add 2 punnets worth (18oz or 500g) of plum or cherry tomatoes to a disposable aluminium tray and season with sea salt & black pepper
• Drizzle with a little virgin olive oil
• Smoke the tomatoes for up to an hour until they are little charred but not oversmoked – check in around 30-45 minutes to make sure they aren’t drying out
• Depending on what you want to use the tomatoes for you may want to remove the blistered skins (e.g. for soup or smooth sauce) otherwise you can serve them as is

Smoked Tomatoes Recipes

There are plenty of recipes you can use smoked tomatoes in. Here are a few ideas:

• Smoky Tomato Soup with Basil & Garlic
• Pizza Sauce
• Curries
• Tagines
• Salsas
• Pasta Sauces e.g. Bolognese, Lasagne, Marinara

You could also make a delicious, healthy smoked tomato salad with fresh mozzarella and basil e.g. Caprese salad.

Smoked tomatoes make for a great pizza sauce for pellet grill pizza as well.