Grilled Cherry Tomatoes with Yogurt and Mint

What’s seasonal, impressive and ready to devour in 15 minutes flat? These grilled cherry tomatoes with yogurt and mint from Susan Spungen’s new cookbook, Veg Forward: Super-Delicious Recipes That Put Produce at the Center of Your Plate, of course. They’re the ultimate simple starter for any dinner party, barbecue or backyard gathering you host this summer.

No hate to raw tomatoes, but grilled tomatoes are next-level. While any cooking process (like baking or roasting) turns the fruit sweet and jammy, direct contact with the grill caramelizes their natural sugars and intensifies their flavor even more. Plus, char marks are the easiest way to wow your guests without having to do too much work—the grates do it for you.

“A sprinkling of sumac adds a citrusy flavor and pretty burgundy color, but it’s totally optional,” writes Spungen. What isn’t optional? Scooping up every drop of the season’s bounty with toasty pita or flatbread.

^{Taken from Veg Forward: Super-Delicious Recipes that Put Produce at the Center of Your Plate by Susan Spungen. Copyright © 2023 by Susan Spungen. Used by permission of Harper Celebrate.}

Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt or labneh

1 small garlic clove, finely grated (optional)

Sumac, for serving (optional)

Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 bunch mint leaves, for serving

Pita or flatbread, for serving

1. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil. Place them in a grill basket or wok and cook until they begin to char, about 5 minutes. Shake the basket and cook until they begin to split and soften, about 4 minutes longer.

2. Mix the yogurt with the garlic (if using) and spread on a serving platter. Tumble the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with sumac (if using), salt, pepper and mint. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve with warm pita or flatbread.