Heirloom Tomato Sorbet

By Gabriella Lewis

Published July 24, 2025

Heirloom Tomato Sorbet
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
35 minutes, plus freezing as needed
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes, plus freezing as needed
Rating
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Comments
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This tangy sorbet transforms peak-season heirloom tomatoes into a quenching savory-sweet treat. Flavorful and refreshing, it’s the platonic ideal of what summer sorbet should be. Reminiscent of a sweet gazpacho, the base comes together quickly: Add the tomatoes, sugar, water, lemon and a pinch of salt to a blender; purée the mixture until smooth; then pass it through a fine sieve directly into an ice cream maker. (No ice cream maker? This base makes an excellent granita; see Tip.) The quality of your sorbet or granita directly reflects your tomatoes, so opt for the ripest, most fragrant ones you can find.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 cups
  • ¾cup sugar
  • 1pound ripe heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1½tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves (both optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

187 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 41 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 371 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with 1½ cups water and bring it to a simmer over low heat, whisking just until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Once dissolved, remove the simple syrup from the heat and set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    In a blender, purée the tomatoes, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and the cooled simple syrup until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into your ice cream maker, pressing out as much of the sorbet base as possible with a spoon or spatula, then discard any remaining pulp. (No ice cream maker? See Tip for a simple granita method.)

  4. Step 4

    Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the sorbet into a container and freeze until ready to serve.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, scoop into bowls and drizzle with your favorite olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a few basil leaves, if desired.

Tip
  • To turn the sorbet base into a frozen granita, pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or sheet pan and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, until clumps begin to form. Run a fork through the slushy mixture to break up the crystals, then freeze it for another 1 to 2 hours. Repeat this process every 30 minutes until the liquid freezes into separate crystals, resembling snow, which should take about 4 to 6 hours total. If the mixture freezes solid, break it into chunks and blend until smooth, then transfer to a container to freeze. Let it soften in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.

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Comments

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Rudy Guliani

yo this recipe reminds me of that one time i took one too many benny-drills and woke up in a pizza hut with nothing but a tramp stamp and 2 gallons of ice-cream bound to my most sensitive areas. The summer of '68. Good times.

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