This cherry tomato confit recipe takes only 5 minutes of hands-on time before transforming into the most tender, juicy little heavenly bites in your oven. Vegan, gluten-free.
Real health is only found when your inner being is completely at ease with life’s inherent uncertainty.― Richard Rudd
I grew a garden this year! It has been a fun project, and all the little happy tomatoes make me feel especially proud.
Roasting tomatoes brings out their sweetness and lovely flavor, and we’ve been serving them with everything lately: creamy polenta, pasta, and pan-seared fish; all get magically better when topped with these sweet, tender confited tomatoes!
Confit (pronounced con-fee) is a French word that means “to preserve.” Using this preservation method, most anything can be slow-cooked in a fat (in this case, olive oil) and then preserved in the fat. I love using this easy technique with tomatoes, garlic, and even shallots. So delicious!
The secret to tomato confit is using flavorful cherry tomatoes in an ample amount of extra virgin olive oil infused with fresh garlic cloves and herbs, baked in the oven.
The best part? The preserved oil itself becomes infused with so much flavor that you’ll want to use it in salads or anywhere else you want a flavorful drizzle.
Tomato Confit Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes: Or use grape tomatoes, plum tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, or a mix! Seasonal and local are best. Look for tomatoes at your nearby farmers market!
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use a high-quality, organic extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Salt and black pepper: Simple seasoning that really enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
- Fat garlic cloves: Smashed garlic cloves add savory, aromatic depth to each bite.
- Optional: Fresh thyme sprigs (or sub oregano) and fresh basil leaves add fresh, herby flavor, and a splash of balsamic vinegar infuses the dish with a bit of tanginess!
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients.
How to Make Tomato Confit Recipe
Preheat oven to 350F.
Step one: In a 9×13 inch baking dish, 11-inch braiser, or oven-proof skillet, arrange the tomatoes and smashed garlic in a single layer.
Step two: Add olive oil. Use 1/4 cup olive oil if serving right away or 1/2 cup if preserving for later (so there is enough to cover the tomatoes in a jar). Add thyme sprigs and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Cover tightly with a lid or foil.
Step three: Bake for 60 minutes. Halfway through, give the dish a gentle shake. When done, the tomatoes should have collapsed slightly, and the garlic should be caramelized. To caramelize more, roast uncovered for a few minutes. Carefully remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Add basil leaves.
Step four: Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Step five: Serve right away with a drizzle of balsamic. Or Store in an airtight container or jar with the reserved oil for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Make sure the tomatoes are not exposed to air by pushing them down. Tomatoes are best served at room temperature once they have been refrigerated.
Chef’s Tips
- Use high-quality ingredients: Use local, in-season tomatoes and organic, extra virgin olive oil for optimal flavor!
- To preserve for later: Use 1/2 cup olive oil and store confit in an airtight container or jar. Push the tomatoes down and place in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use the leftover oil in salads, pasta, or for drizzling.
- Add more flavor with fresh herbs! Fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary, and basil add fresh, herby, floral flavor that elevates this dish.
- Serve with balsamic: For a bit of added tanginess, a drizzle of balsamic can brighten the dish up just before serving.
- Give it a kick: Sprinkle red pepper flakes on the dish for a little bit of heat.
Storage
Store extra Tomato Confit in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, making sure the tomatoes sink down. If they are exposed to air they can mold.
Serving Suggestions
Tomato Confit can really go on anything! My favorite is over a bowl of creamy polenta, so good! That is the beauty of this versatile dish. Here are some ideas of what we’ve been enjoying with a spoonful of roasted cherry tomatoes:
- Polenta: Creamy Polenta, Instant Pot Polenta
- Pasta: Zucchini Pasta, Healthy Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Bucatini Pasta with Arugula Pesto
- Pan-seared fish: Pan-Seared Halibut, Halibut with Lemony Zucchini Noodles
- Chicken: Chicken Piccata, Grilled Chicken Caprese
- Tofu: Grilled Tofu
- Toast: Mushroom Toast, Brothy Beans on Garlic Toast, Avocado Toast with Poached Eggs
- Cheese: Whipped Ricotta
- Pizza: Caprese Pizza
FAQs
Confit (pronounced con-fee) is derived from the French word confire, which means to preserve. It can be used to describe any vegetable that is cooked low and slow in a liquid. The liquid is typically flavorful with aromatics and herbs.
Yes, as long as it is stored properly, you can enjoy tomato confit for up to 2 weeks. Make sure the tomatoes are not exposed to air at the top of the container or jar.
Tomato confit uses a slow-cooking method in olive oil, while sun-dried tomatoes are prepared by drying tomatoes in a dehydrator.
Thanks to the olive oil, garlic, and herbs, tomato confit is rich, savory, aromatic, and herby, with a natural sweetness from the tomatoes.
Let me know what you think of this Tomato Confit recipe! And please share how you use your roasted tomatoes in the comments below. You may also enjoy: preserving veggies in olive oil!
xoxo
More Favorite Tomato Recipes
Tomato Confit Recipe (Roasted Cherry tomatoes)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: condiments, sides, preserving
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: French, American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This cherry tomato confit recipe takes only 5 minutes of hands-on time before transforming in your oven, into the most tender, juicy little heavenly bites.
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes or a mix (about 4 cups)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (please see notes)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6–8 fat garlic cloves, smashed
- Optional: 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs (or sub oregano) and 8-10 fresh basil leaves, a splash of balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F
- Place the tomatoes and smashed fresh garlic cloves in a mostly single layer in a 9×13 inch baking dish, 11-inch braiser, or oven-proof skillet.
- Add the olive oil ( see notes) and thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with a lid or with foil.
- Bake for 60 minutes, giving the pan a little shake halfway through. At 60 minutes, the tomatoes should have collapsed slightly, and the garlic should be caramelized. If you like them a little more caramelized, roast uncovered for 10-15 more minutes. If preserving for later, add ¼ cup more oil to the pan. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before adding basil leaves.
- Taste, adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve right away (with a drizzle of balsamic if you like) or store in an airtight container or jar for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, covered with the reserved oil. If the tomatoes are exposed to air, they can mold, so be sure to sink them down.
Notes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 78
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 222.2 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Absolutely wonderful .. great way to preserve my homegrown cherry toms , & extend the goodness – they looked exactly like the image too when taken from the oven & smelt wonderful
Thank you – your recipes never fail me
So glad to hear this Janet!
Thank you for your recipes Sylvia! This tomato confit recipe is so full of flavour! I appreciate being able to find your amazing recipes, especially when cooking for family and friends. I often refer others to your website. Pat Greyell
Thanks so much Pat! So nice to hear this!
Made this over the weekend with some of the last tomatoes of the season and garlic from the garden. Since I knew we wouldn’t eat this all at once, I cooked the tomatoes using a half cup of olive oil. The tomatoes never carmelized because there was too much liquid. Should I have just added extra oil when I stored the leftovers? The taste was amazing even though the confit was pretty loose.
Hi Claudia, thanks for the feedback and I adjusted the recipe. You can add the extra oil to the jar instead, or add it to the pan after you remove the foil and caramelize the tomatoes a bit. 🙂
Thank you
Absolutely delicious. Found a new way to use up my abundant harvest of cherry tomatoes!
Thanks for the great review Alan!
Polished off a bowl of your tomato confit over your polenta recipe. Simple ingredients with a most delicious result.
Nice! Sounds perfect. 🙂
Even though it felt “wrong” to cook those sweet little tomatoes, oh what a result! Perfect on top of ANYTHING, from bread to eggplant!!!
I hear you! So glad you gave it a try!
Where do you get your labels for the jars?
You can search for chalkboard labels. Amazon has them.