Chickpea, Tomato & Bocconcini Salad

Cherry Tomatoes vs. Grape Tomatoes

The other day I was on the hunt for cherry tomatoes, but my local grocery store only had grape tomatoes in stock. 

The produce manager handed me the grape tomatoes and told me they’re the same thing. Sadly, they aren’t! Though they’re close enough to be cousins, they’re definitely not twins.

Cherry tomatoes are round, juicy and bursting with sweetness. They have thin skins and a high-water content, making them extra juicy when you bite into them. 

They’re like nature’s candy…if candy occasionally drips onto your chin when you eat it.

Then there’s grape tomatoes—smaller, oval (thus the name) and a little firmer than their cherry cousins. They have thicker skins and less water inside, which means they hold their shape better and won’t release much juice when chopped. That’s a plus in some salads.

So which one should you use? If you want a juicier, more delicate bite, pick cherry tomatoes. If you want a sturdier tomato that holds its shape better in a salad and won’t dilute the dressing with its juices when chopped, go for grape tomatoes.

In this salad, either one is fine, though my preference would be for round, juicy cherry tomatoes. 

But grab whatever seems freshest. After all, the best tomatoes aren’t the ones with the perfect shape—they’re the ones that taste like summer!