How to Make Roasted Cherry Tomato Confit with Herbs

Use your summer tomato harvest to make this gorgeous Roasted Cherry Tomato Confit.

Sweet cherry tomatoes are roasted in a luxurious bath of olive oil along with seasonings, garlic and fresh herbs.

Confit tomatoes is the appetizer and super easy condiment you didn’t know you needed.

Slow-roasted with olive oil, garlic and herbs, you get flavourful, tender tomatoes you can dip toast in, add to pasta and top soft cheese or pizza with.

This simple recipe is a perfect way to celebrate tomato season in the summertime. I love easy appetizers like this Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Dip and Easy Cheesy Baked Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. But, this cherry tomato confit is just so versatile that I keep coming back to it again and again.

What is confit?

Confit is a French cooking method of cooking and preserving foods in a fat for a long time. Here we confit fresh tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil, roasting them at a low temperature for a about an hour. The end result are buttery, tender tomatoes which boast tons of flavor.

Why you’ll love this cherry tomato confit recipe

• You only need 6 key ingredients to make this incredible appetizer.
• It’s so versatile! Use as a topping for pasta, toast or cheeses.
• An easy hands-off appetizer or condiment you can prep ahead of time.
• Make as an appetizer or use as a condiment to top toast or pizza.

Ingredients needed to make this roasted tomato confit

Tomatoes: I like to use ripe cherry tomatoes in this recipe since they’re small and packed with flavour; grape tomatoes would work as well as other small tomatoes

Olive oil: extra-virgin olive oil is what’s needed to confit the tomatoes in

Whole head of garlic: adding the entire garlic bulb allows the garlic cloves to become super buttery when roasted with the tomatoes

Seasonings: kosher salt and black pepper are needed to season the tomatoes; you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes (if desired)

Fresh herbs:  I like to use a mixture of fresh herbs like fresh thyme sprigs, fresh rosemary, fresh basil or oregano; feel free to use your favourite fresh herb

How to make roasted tomato confit

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250F.

Step 2: Place the cherry tomatoes in a single layer in a baking dish. Nestle in the fresh herbs, salt, pepper, chili flakes (optional) and head of garlic, cut side up.

Step 3: Pour the olive oil all over the tomatoes, making sure the oil reaches almost the tops of the tomatoes (add extra oil if needed). Bake for 1.5 hours, until the tomatoes are quite soft and just starting to burst.  Set aside and let fully cool

Step 4: Once fully cooled, squeeze the garlic out of the skin and add to the tomato mixture before storing the tomatoes along with the olive oil and herbs in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to one month. Make sure to store the tomatoes submerged in the olive oil in the container. Enjoy on the day it’s made or remove the jar from the fridge about 10-15 minutes before enjoying to have the olive oil come back closer to room temperature.

Expert tips

• Make sure to use a variety of small cherry tomatoes for the best flavour; larger tomatoes won’t work for this recipe. Head to the farmer’s market for a variety of fresh juicy tomatoes to use!
• Get creative with the herbs you use – use a combination of your favourites or just use one.
• The tomatoes need to be submerged in the olive oil in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for proper storage. They will last up to one month in the oil in a container or jar in the fridge.

What to serve with roasted cherry tomato confit

• serve on whipped feta or whipped ricotta
• enjoy with fresh bread and/or burrata cheese
• use as a topping for roasted or grilled chicken or salmon
• add to fresh cooked pasta
• use as a pizza topping
• add the tomatoes to toast along with plain goat cheese or cream cheese

Common questions about this easy tomato confit recipe

How long can I store tomato confit?
Make sure to store the tomatoes submerged in the olive oil in an airtight jar or container in the fridge. They will last up to one month in the oil in a container or jar in the fridge.

Can I use the olive oil after finishing all of the confit tomatoes?
As you enjoy the cherry tomato confit you’ll find you’ll still have leftover olive oil in the jar. Use a bit at a time to saute vegetables, add to salad dressings or to start pasta sauces.

Will this confit tomato recipe work with larger tomatoes?
I don’t recommend using larger tomatoes as it would take a ton of olive oil to coat them. The best part of using smaller cherry tomatoes is they have concentrated flavour that is brought out by the confit cooking method.

Storage

Make sure to allow tomatoes to cool to room temperature first. Store in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to one month.

More summer appetizers to love from the blog

Easy Burrata Bread Appetizer with Roasted Tomatoes

Whipped Ricotta with Honey Roasted Plums Appetizer

Summer Peach and Tomato Crostini with Goat Cheese