Have you ever seen a picture in a food magazine or on Instagram like the one below - slightly wilted, elegant tomatoes that are just a bit rustic because they've been roasted on the vine? Did you ask yourself, "How do I roast cherry tomatoes on the vine?"
Answer is: it's incredibly simple, and this post will teach you how to do it.
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These roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine are a beautiful, simple addition to any dinner, charcuterie board or spread for guests, or served on toasted baguette with some fresh mozzarella and basil or some Almond Pesto.
The tomatoes become incredibly sweet when roasted in olive oil with a few cloves of unpeeled garlic that roast in their skin.
To save time, these tomatoes are roasted while the oven comes to temperature. No waiting for the oven to preheat!
This preparation can easily be used for roasted cherry tomatoes off the vine, but I prefer the more visually appealing presentation of vine tomatoes. Just place a fork between the tomato and the vine and pop off the individual tomatoes as you eat.
What You'll Need
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- Cherry Tomatoes on the vine. You can easily do this with cherry tomatoes off the vine as well.
- Olive Oil High quality extra virgin olive oil is worth the investment. I recommend buying smaller bottles so that the oil maintains freshness and quality. If oil sits for too long, it degrades and can begin to smell and taste unpleasant.
- Garlic Leave the garlic unpeeled. When you put it in the oven with the cherry tomatoes, it will roast.
- Fresh Basil if desired. These tomatoes are so good on a piece of toast with a clove of the roasted garlic and fresh basil.
- Kosher salt My favorite brand is Diamond Crystal.
How to Prepare
- Heat the oven
- Place the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil on a sheet tray and season with salt
- Stick them in the oven
- That's it!
Variations
You can easily make this with any variety of small tomatoes - cherry and grape will both work here, and they do not need to be on the vine. The presentation is the only difference here.
You can mash the tomatoes and peeled garlic with a fork in a small bowl for a chunky tomato dip to spread on little toasts.
You can roast halved full-sized tomatoes with a little salt, Italian seasoning and shredded cheese on top for the same amount of time for an easy, healthy side dish. I make this at least once a week.
How to Store
You can leave these tomatoes out at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Be sure to refrigerate them before 2 hours is up for food safety reasons.
I store these tomatoes in the fridge in a plastic or glass container or in a bowl with a reusable food storage wrapper (or tin foil, or plastic wrap).
They can be safely stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
How to Make this a Meal
These tomatoes are best served warm. I like to move them right from the oven onto a charcuterie board with toasts, cheeses and fresh basil.
However, you can definitely make these in advance. If you want to keep their structure, reheat them in the oven for 5 or so minutes at 375 °F.
I often serve these tomatoes on top of a grain bowl or as a side dish to any protein and grain combination for a complete dinner, such as chicken and brown rice, white beans and farro or pan-seared salmon and whole wheat pasta.
They are perfect alongside any protein for dinner. Try them with these delicious baked turkey wings or this wonderful vegan Lebanese falafel recipe.
You can also serve these tomatoes on any pasta of your choice with some fresh basil leaves, another drizzle of olive oil and some grated parmesan or pecorino cheese on top.
I also love to remove these tomatoes from the vine, peel the roasted garlic and place in a pan on medium low heat for a no-recipe Eggs in Purgatory with some chili flake for heat.
Recipes You'll Love
These tomatoes go really well with my Almond Pesto.
For a fresh and bright tomato recipe, check out my Marinated BLT with Chicken.
Try this amazing One-Pan Roasted Fish with Cherry Tomatoes recipe.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes on the vine
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic removed from the head but unpeeled. Feel free to use more.
- 1 pinch kosher salt generous
- A few leaves fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet/sheet pan with parchment paper. I use a quarter sheet pan. If you don't have parchment paper, don't worry. This just makes for easier clean-up.
- Place the tomatoes and garlic on the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
- Turn your oven to 375°F.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven while it heats.
- Set a timer for 30 minutes. Start checking the tomatoes through the oven door at 20 minutes for doneness.
- Remove the tomatoes when they have reached your preferred doneness. I like the skin of mine to be cracked and the tomatoes to be drooping but not quite melted to retain their shape for presentation.
Notes
- Tomatoes will be very hot directly out of the oven. Be sure to let them cool slightly before serving.
- To keep the tomatoes attached to the vine, I take them off of the sheet pan with a spatula under the bottoms of the tomatoes.
- You can also use tongs to grab the tomatoes from the vine, but some tomatoes may separate from the vine during this process.
- These tomatoes are amazing as a side dish.
- These tomatoes can be smashed with a fork along with some of the unpeeled roasted garlic cloves and served as a chunky dip.
- This is a great addition to a charcuterie board or as a lunch with toasts, mozzarella cheese and some fresh basil.
- Tomatoes can be stored for 3-5 days in the fridge and reheated in the oven.
- You can use this same time and temperature to bake halved regular-sized tomatoes topped with salt, Italian seasoning and some shredded cheese for another excellent side dish.
Jennifer says
Ah-ha! I wondered how they made the tomatoes look so amazing! I tried it then gobbled them up - they were delish, too!
Genevieve says
Thank you, Jennifer! I’m so glad they turned out well for you.
Emily says
I have an abundance of cherry tomatoes right now and I tried this recipe. I crushed them with some garlic and put it on some crostinis and it was divine
Genevieve says
That’s one of my favorite ways to eat these! I am happy to hear you enjoyed them.
Claire says
I made these last night to go with a grilled steak and some homemade fries.
They were delicious and really so easy!!!
And the flavor was so intense!
Genevieve says
Fantastic idea! So glad you enjoyed them.
Kris says
These were delectable! So sweet & juicy! Will make again. 🙂
Genevieve says
Thank you, Kris! The sweetness is my favorite part too.
Rosanna Stevens says
Delicious! Especially at this time of year when tomatoes are in season, I tried this recipe with my homegrown tomatoes and it was out of this world.
Genevieve says
Thanks Rosanna! Homegrown tomatoes are the best.
Allyssa says
Loved this! Super quick and easy to make! Will have this again for sure, highly recommended!
Genevieve says
Thank you!
Lara says
I absolutely loved these roasted tomatoes! So easy and delicious!
Genevieve says
Thanks Lara! I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Cam says
This is super easy to make! Super enjoyed a lot!
Genevieve says
Thanks Cam!
Wendy says
Simple and delicious! I highly recommend it.
Genevieve says
Thanks Wendy!