Fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes, a whole head of garlic and fresh herbs slow roasted in a bath of olive oil make a great appetizer or side. This cherry tomato confit is a great way to enjoy the end of summer bounty of tomatoes.
My favorite time of year are the last few weeks of summer when tomatoes are in full effect and the stands of farmers markets are just bursting with vibrant, colorful tomatoes. Making a confit is the best way to preserve the season’s ripe cherry tomatoes to enjoy into the first few weeks of fall. Stash some in the freezer and pull it out in the cold winter months when you’re craving a little taste of summer.
If you’re looking for a great cherry tomato recipe to use up some tomatoes from your farmers market haul or backyard harvest, look no further.
What is confit?
First thing, you may be asking yourself, what is confit? It’s a french cooking technique in which an ingredient, typically meat, is preserved in its own fat. In this case, we’re doing it with tomatoes and garlic in olive oil and it is literally life changing. Tomatoes, garlic and herbs slowly roast in tons of olive oil until the tomatoes almost burst. The result is a winning combination of super sweet and spreadable roasted tomatoes, garlic and infused olive oil that is just out of this world. There are so many different ways to enjoy this magical condiment.
Why you will love this simple recipe
- It keeps well for a few weeks and freezes beautifully, making it a great way to preserve and enjoy the fresh cherry tomatoes of the summer season.
- Makes a fantastic appetizer or great side dish for a dinner party.
- There are so many different ways to enjoy it!
Ingredients
All you need is ripe cherry tomatoes and a handful of fresh ingredients to make this easy recipe.
- Fresh tomatoes – I love the look of colorful cherry tomatoes in this dish. I usually mix red and yellow orange sungold tomatoes. You can also substitute grape tomatoes if that is what you have on hand or in your vegetable garden. The good news is that if you have some tomatoes that are a little soft and slightly past their prime, this is the perfect way to save them before they go bad.
- Fresh garlic – a whole head.
- Fresh herbs – I use basil and oregano. You could also add rosemary or thyme.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt
Method
Making tomato confit could not be any easier. There are really no exact amounts for this recipe. It’s impossible to mess up. I recommend using at least a pint of cherry tomatoes, but you can easily double it and add more garlic.
Cut about a half an inch off of the top of a whole head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Add whole cherry tomatoes to a baking dish in a single layer. Remove any loose, papery skin from the outside of the garlic and nestle the whole head in between the tomatoes.
Add some sprigs of fresh basil and oregano. Pour olive oil in the dish until its about halfway up the sides of the tomatoes. Pour olive oil all over the exposed garlic cloves. Season with a few pinches of flaky salt. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about an hour until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and caramelize but not completely burst.
Cool to room temperature. Pull out the head of garlic and squeeze the roasted garlic into the mixture.
Try not to eat a whole baguette standing at the kitchen counter!
Ways to serve tomato confit
- Use it as a condiment for crusty bread or as a bruschetta topper
- Toss a little bit into pasta for super concentrated tomato flavor
- Mash a few garlic roasted cherry tomatoes onto a pizza crust as a sauce
- Spoon tomatoes and oil over fresh mozzarella, burrata, feta, goat cheese or whipped ricotta
- Top grilled chicken or fish
- Combine the infused olive oil with a little bit of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar to make a delicious tomato garlic vinaigrette
Storage tips
Tomato confit will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Make sure the tomatoes and garlic are fully submerged in oil. Olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator so take it out and let it come to room temperature before using. You can also spoon some directly into a hot skillet if you’re adding it to a recipe.
Freeze small portions of the confit in large ice cube trays or souper cubes and store for up to three months.
More summer tomato recipes you will love
Cherry Tomato and Garlic Confit
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or more
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 1 cup olive oil or more
- 8 sprigs fresh basil & oregano
- flaky sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Add cherry tomatoes to a deep baking dish in a single layer.
- Cut about half an inch off the top of a whole head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Peel away any loose skins from the outside. Nestle the garlic in between the tomatoes.
- Pour olive oil over the top of the exposed garlic cloves and into the baking dish until it reaches about halfway up the tomatoes.
- Top with sprigs of fresh herbs and season with a few pinches of flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 60-80 minutes until garlic is soft and sweet and tomatoes are blistered but not quite burst. Cool completely and squeeze roasted garlic cloves into the tomatoes and olive oil.
- Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to two weeks or freeze in small portions for up to three months.
Rachel K.
Absolutely delicious. I can’t believe it took me this long to try it! We had a large final harvest of our cherry tomato plant that “accidentally” exploded. We let our four year old niece go outside and play with seeds and a fresh pot of dirt… A few weeks later, she called and asked us to check on her plant. We had forgotten about it of course, she had not. Naturally, it would appear this child has a green thumb. This plant would not stop growing and man it was productive! There are only so many salads one can eat and I needed something to do with this last giant harvest. I recalled seeing this recipe cross @bigdeliciouslife IG and oh my god….This cherry tomato and garlic confit was so easy to throw together and mouth watering on a piece of crusty bread. I had to hide the bread to pull myself away from it. I will definitely be returning to this recipe. Bread isn’t ready.
Jessica
Thank you so much! This is the best review EVER.
Camille
Made this last week for pizza night and let me tell you now I can’t go back to having pizza without this tomato and garlic confit. It really elevates the flavors and we couldn’t have been happier. Thank you so much! xx
Jazz
I made this confit for an appetizer board recently and it was a big hit. Thank you!
Eden
Made this to actually turn it into tomato sauce…BEST DECISION EVER! This made the most delicious sauce I’ve ever had. Definitely keeping this recipe for all the tomato goodness!
Jen
I served this tomato and garlic as an appetizer at my last dinner party and everyone was so impressed. The flavors were perfect. This is definitely a restaurant-quality dish.
Kate
I made this tomato confit for some guests I was hosting and it was such a hit! The cherry tomatoes tasted so good and were so easy to spread!
Marta
Guuuuuurrrrrrlllllll!!! When I tell you I had a MOMENT after the first taste of this tomato and garlic confit, I mean a moment. So perfect and full of fresh flavors. I’m in love.
Britney
I made this with my breakfast toast and it has me doing the happy food dance! The garlic and tomato were so flavorful together. Such a great way to start the day.
Genesis
I used tomatoes and garlic I got from the farmers market and it was delicious! I added bucatini pasta.
Stacey K
…when your dinner guests ask to drink the remnants from the bowl… A DEFINITE sign the dish is a hit! I use the colorful cherry bomb tomatoes that are available year round. The roasted, sticky garlic is squeezed into the cherry tomatoes before serving. My favorite is to serve with goat cheese medallions and fresh baked French bread toasts. Run. Do not walk to the grocery store to grab your ingredients and make it!
Kate
This was the recipe that introduced me to Big Delicious Life and it’s still my favorite! I can’t wait for fresh summer tomatoes to make this again.
Diane
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this since I first saw it on Instagram over the summer. I now make double batches every time because the leftovers are the perfect thing to have on hand in the fridge if you want to make any simple meal exponentially more delicious. Scrambled eggs? Throw some of this in the skillet first and cook them in the garlicky oil. Steamed or roasted veggies? Drizzle a spoonful on top. We even tried it over some pan seared salmon recently and it was a winner. When it’s safe to have house guests again, this is going to be on the menu every time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe!
Jacqueline
Words cannot describe how delicious this is. I made it twice in one week. Used some of the oil for salad dressing and tomatoes to top burgers which meant this confit was used in appetizer, side, and main course!
Jennifer D.
This is as delish as it looks!!! I had lots of surplus cherry tomatoes to turn into this garlicky concoction. I love how it saves so well in the fridge, so easy to whip up a quick pasta lunch or put on some crusty bread. My favorite is spreading the roasted garlic onto bread or ANYTHING!