While I LOVE simply sliced garden tomatoes made into a mid-summer caprese, there is something about slow roasted cherry tomato caprese salad which is just amazing! The tiny, sweet tomatoes, the caramelization from the roasting, the tender shallots and garlic. The SAUCE from the juices, olive oil, and balsamic. My mouth is watering thinking about it!
Hello, all!
How has your spring been going?
I’ve been running around here cleaning, cooking, enjoying guests, and spending time with family. I’m actually having a little break today, but then I’m back at it! Field trips, more guests, and plenty of recipe testing to do. *whew*
This weekend is going to be projects, organizing, and maybe getting out into the garden. It seriously needs some help! But, in the mean time, how about some caprese salad? I see my mom raising her hand. š It is her favorite, though I don’t know if she has had a roasted version.
Roasted Tomato Salad
It’s getting time for dinners on the deck around here and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate that than to enjoy the bounty of early cherry tomatoes! Of course, you can enjoy roasted cherry tomatoes all summer long too (and all winter long since they are the BEST of winter tomatoes), but there is something special about snagging one of the first local containers and making caprese salad.
And, if you love to make recipes ahead, this is an awesome dish to make in the morning or the day before. Just pop it in the fridge when you are done roasting and then let it come it to room temperature or put it back in the oven/on the stove to warm it back up.
Top Tips
- Have bread on hand for dipping into the juices. You don’t want to miss out on that!
- Pick small cherry or grape tomatoes which are firm and unwrinkled.
- Multicolored varieties give the dish a lot of eye appeal.
- Don’t skip the garlic and shallots. They add a great counter point to the recipe.
- Fresh herbs are best!
What do you need?
- Cherry Tomatoes – Any small and sweet variety will work.
- Shallots/Garlic Cloves – The caramelized flavor is wonderful with the rest!
- Burrata – Or mozzarella. But you need a creamy cheese.
- Balsamic Dressing – Balsamic, olive oil, herbs.
How to make this
To make a cherry tomato caprese salad roast the cherry tomatoes with garlic and shallots in an olive oil balsamic dressing until they are soft, browned, and a little caramelized. Serve warm or room temperature with burrata cheese and a crusty bread.
So, this seriously simple and seriously tasty! You’re just a few steps and little time away from a roasted caprese of your own.
- Heat the oven to 350F.
- Toss the tomatoes, sliced shallots, and garlic with the balsamic dressing.
- Slowly roast it all together in the oven until everything is soft and caramelized.
- Let it cool a bit. (so it’s not HOT but warm)
- Arrange the caprese on a platter with the burrata.
- EAT! With crusty bread.
Garden Fresh Tomatoes
Here are some of my best recipes! If you want to see more, check out my tag or read up about heirloom tomatoes in my ingredient spotlight.
If you try my recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
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– Happy Roasting, Annemarie
Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 2 shallots
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 8 oz burrata cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F.
- Halve the shallots through the root end. Then slice each half into 4-5 pieces through the root.
- Toss the shallots, tomatoes, and garlic with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt, and sugar.
- Spread it all out in a baking dish large enough for everything to be in one layer.
- Roast for about 45 minutes. The tomatoes should be bursting and browned. The shallots and garlic should be soft and roasted.
- Let cool for a few minutes (until no longer hot but still warm).
- Arrange the burrata on a serving dish. Spoon the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots around. Pour the dressing from the baking dish over everything. Top with more fresh thyme if you wish.
- Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
- Burrata: If you can't find burrata, slice up some fresh mozzarella instead.
- Herbs: You can add fresh oregano, sage, or parsley to the baking pan with the thyme. If you use fresh basil, add it at the end only.
- Tomatoes: Any cherry or grape sized ones would be lovely. I especially like the multicolored packs which you may find at your supermarket or farmer's market.
Shirley says
I’ve never had a roasted caprese before, but I had some cherry tomatoes on my counter and thought I’d try it. I’m glad I did. Yum!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks, Shirley! Roasted caprese was a new one for me too, but I knew when I tried it that I had to share. š