A chilled vegan dessert made with blanched cherry tomatoes and Japanese plum syrup — simple, refreshing, and quietly sweet.
🌿 From the Summer Forest Kitchen
A Chilled Vegan Treat with Cherry Tomatoes & Ume Plum Syrup
This cherry tomato compote is a refreshingly simple vegan dessert made with homemade plum syrup.
Perfect for hot summer afternoons, it’s light, colorful, and easy to prepare. If you're looking for ways to use up a bounty of cherry tomatoes or wondering how to enjoy ume syrup beyond drinks, this gentle treat might be your new seasonal favorite.
It’s vegan, with cooling, naturally flavored ume syrup, and best served chilled — a dreamy combination of summer garden and slow living.
🍅 More Tomato Recipes to Try
Here are some more vegan treasures from the summer forest kitchen to inspire your seasonal cooking:
- How to Make Vegan Oven-Dried Tomatoes
- Marinated Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
- Chilled Tofu with Sun-Dried Tomato
Jump to:
- 🌿 From the Summer Forest Kitchen
- 🍅 More Tomato Recipes to Try
- 🕊 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- ☀️ Ingredients
- 🍉 How to Make It
- ✌️ 4 Tips for Best Results
- 🪄 How to Easily Peel Cherry Tomatoes
- 👒 Tools You’ll Need
- 🌻 Storage Notes
- 👧🏻 Frequently Asked Questions
- 🚲 More Recipes with Cherry Tomatoes
- 🌈 You May Also Like
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 🧺 From My Quiet Table to Yours
🕊 Why You'll Love This Recipe
This vegan cherry tomato compote recipe is ideal if you:
- Have an abundance of cherry tomatoes and need a zero-waste idea
- Made ume (plum) syrup and want to explore more creative uses
- Are searching for light, chilled vegan desserts that feel both rustic and elegant
This recipe is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and uses naturally flavored plum syrup if homemade.
Looking for more ume ideas? Check out my Japanese Plum Recipes Collection where I share how to use leftover ume, make jams, and more.
☀️ Ingredients
- Cherry Tomatoes (I used the Japanese "Aiko" variety, which has dense flesh and minimal seeds, but any small sweet tomato works)
- Plum Syrup (I used my homemade chai-spiced ume syrup for an aromatic twist, but plain ume syrup is equally delicious)
See the recipe card below for exact measurements👇
🍉 How to Make It
- Blanch the Tomatoes:
Bring water to a boil. Add cherry tomatoes and let sit for about 2 minutes. When the skins begin to crack or the tomatoes feel plump and springy when gently pressed, they’re ready to peel.
- Peel the Tomatoes: Drain and let cool slightly. Once cool to the touch, gently peel off the skins. If needed, use a toothpick to help.
Need help peeling? Check out 🪄 How to Easily Peel Cherry Tomatoes for the full step-by-step.
- Add the Syrup: While the tomatoes are still warm, pour the ume syrup over them. This helps the flavor infuse deeply.
- Chill and Serve: Once cooled, transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least an hour (overnight is best).
As the tomatoes rest, they’ll release moisture and the syrup will gradually rise. When the tomatoes are gently covered in syrup, they’re ready to serve.
✌️ 4 Tips for Best Results
▶︎ Skip the Ice Bath: After blanching, don’t shock the tomatoes in cold water. Let them cool naturally to avoid excess moisture.
▶︎ Add Syrup While Warm: Just like when marinating vegetables, adding syrup to warm tomatoes helps the flavor soak in more deeply.
▶︎ Don’t Dilute the Syrup: Plum syrup already has enough liquid. No need to add water. The tomatoes will release moisture and balance the consistency as they chill.
Just after mixing the tomatoes with the plum syrup.
After chilling in the fridge — the syrup has risen and gently covers the tomatoes.
BEFORE
AFTER
▶︎ Chill Thoroughly: Let the compote rest in the fridge until it’s well chilled. The longer it rests, the more flavorful it becomes.
🪄 How to Easily Peel Cherry Tomatoes
This method lets you peel cherry tomatoes beautifully without making any cuts. It’s simple, fuss-free, and actually helps the flavor absorb more easily — a win-win for your summer kitchen. Definitely worth remembering.
- Soak the Tomatoes in Hot Water:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then turn off the heat. Gently place the cherry tomatoes into the hot water and let them sit undisturbed.
- Drain and Cool: After 1–2 minutes, you’ll start to see small cracks appear on some of the tomato skins — that’s your sign. Pour them into a strainer to drain, and let them cool until they’re comfortable to touch. Once cooled, you’re ready to begin peeling.
- Peel the Tomatoes – Option 1:
If the tomato skins have already burst, you can slip them off easily with your fingers. It’s a satisfying, almost meditative step — enjoy the smooth, gentle motion as the skins peel away.
- Peel the Tomatoes – Option 2:
If the skins haven’t split, use a toothpick to pierce the top of the tomato and lift the skin to get it started. If your nails are a little long, you can skip the toothpick and simply pinch the skin with your fingers.
Let the skins come off as they wish — they’ll slip away effortlessly, one by one.
And just like that, your tomatoes are peeled. No need to score the skin — it’s a smooth and satisfying process, and now they’re perfectly ready to soak up the plum syrup.
👒 Tools You’ll Need
- Small pot or mixing bowl
- Strainer
- Toothpick (optional)
- Storage jar or container (600ml works for 500g of tomatoes)
🌻 Storage Notes
Store in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days. If you notice the syrup clouding or the tomatoes becoming mushy, it’s time to let it go.
Want to preserve it longer? Freeze the drained tomatoes for a refreshing sorbet-like snack.
👧🏻 Frequently Asked Questions
If you're not strictly vegan, honey can be used. For a vegan option, boil beet sugar with a little water to create a thick syrup.
Use this simple ratio: 100g cherry tomatoes : 1 tablespoon ume syrup. Adjust as needed.
🚲 More Recipes with Cherry Tomatoes
🌈 You May Also Like
More vegan Recipes:
If you like this recipe or have already made it, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the COMMENTS 🐒. Also feel free to ask any questions or leave any requests!
📖 Recipe Card
Vegan Cherry Tomato Compote with Plum Syrup
Equipment
- Small pot or mixing bowl
- strainer
- toothpick optional
- Storage jar or container 600ml works for 500g of tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- Enough boiling water to blanch
- 5 tablespoon chai-spiced ume syrup (or plain plum syrup)
Instructions
- Blanch cherry tomatoes in boiling water for ~2 minutes.500 g cherry tomatoesEnough boiling water to blanch
- Drain, cool, and peel.
- While still warm, mix with plum syrup.5 tablespoon chai-spiced ume syrup
- Chill in refrigerator until the syrup rises and tomatoes are fully infused.
Notes
- Any small, firm, sweet cherry tomato works — Japanese Aiko variety is recommended for its low water content.
- Don't dilute the syrup. The tomatoes will naturally release moisture as they chill, creating the perfect balance.
- For easier peeling, see How to Easily Peel Cherry Tomatoes.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days.
- To keep longer, drain the syrup and freeze the tomatoes — they become delightfully icy, like a soft sorbet.
💬Did you try this recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments— or mention #vegin_vegan_vegun or just tag us @veginveganvegun with your delicious creations!
🧺 From My Quiet Table to Yours
This chilled vegan cherry tomato compote is a poetic pairing of garden sweetness and ume's gentle tang. Make it in midsummer, keep it in a jar, and let your days taste like sun-dappled stillness.
Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, and happy day 🕊
luca says
This time, I used regular plum syrup, but next year, I'm planning to give it a twist and use spices!