This Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad is certain to become a favourite. It is light, full of flavour and so easy to make. Enjoy it as an appetiser or as a side dish. Don’t miss the opportunity to mop up the delicious juices with some crusty bread.
My boyfriend and I both loved this delicious recipe. I didn’t know that type of salad but it just became one of my favorites. Thanks a lot for this recipe 🙂
– Julieta
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- This Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad is a delicious way to enjoy our versatile Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. With minimal changes to the basic recipe, you will have another way in which to enjoy these tomatoes. This time, as a delicious salad.
- It can be served as an appetiser, makes an excellent side dish or even a light, meat-free meal when served with crusty bread.
- I was inspired to make this variation of a classic recipe, Insalata Caprese. The flavours of the roasted tomatoes are so delicious that I have enjoyed using them in different ways, this being one of my favourites.
- The recipe is simple. In fact, it is not so much a recipe as an idea. It is easy to increase or decrease the quantities according to your needs.
- Roasting is a simple cooking method which intensifies the flavour of tomatoes which are not at their peak. It is a great way to use winter tomatoes which lack flavour. Alternatively, rescue a punnet of tomatoes which you have had a little too long and are now wrinkled and shrivelled.
- Using this simple method, you can bring the brightness of a summer’s day to your winter table with this salad. Serving the salad whilst the tomatoes are still slightly warm will make it appealing on even a cold, miserable day.
- I love that the tomatoes are roasted until their flavours are deeply concentrated. They are perfectly accompanied by creamy, fresh mozzarella and vibrant, flavoursome leaves of fresh basil.
- This salad does not require a special, separately prepared dressing. The flavoursome roasting juices are all that is needed. A final sprinkle of sea salt flakes adds some great flavour and texture.
Recipe Inspiration: inspired by the classic Italian salad, Insalata Caprese, which loosely translates as the Salad from Capri. It is made from perfectly ripe, flavour-filled tomatoes, basil leaves, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and salt. I love its simplicity. This beautiful salad, which wears the colours of the Italian flag, is a favourite of mine.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Cherry tomatoes – these are ideal for roasting. They contain a higher amount of naturally occurring sugar than their larger relatives. Roasting the tomatoes intensifies their flavour and caramelises the sugars, adding an extra flavour dimension. If you have some cherry tomatoes that are a little past their prime and have become wrinkled, do not throw them out. This is a great way to avoid wastage; they respond well to roasting, becoming extra sweet and suitable for many uses. On this occasion, I have used heirloom cherry and grape tomatoes for their varied colour.
- Garlic – I use fresh garlic cloves as the flavour is superior to the bottled variety. This time I want just the flavour so I have crushed the garlic cloves and will remove them before serving.
- Olive oil – with so few ingredients, to obtain the best flavour in the salad I always use extra virgin olive oil. As it is the first pressing of the olives and is naturally extracted from the fruit without the use of heat, the flavour is fresher and more intense. I encourage you to use the best olive oil that you have.
- Sugar – although cherry tomatoes contain higher levels of sugar than other tomato varieties, I add a small amount of sugar to counteract their natural acidity.
- Dried oregano – this is one very rare occasion when I prefer a dried herb to fresh. Many cooks prefer to use the dried herb as they find the flavour to be more subtle. It complements other flavours rather than dominating them.
- Sea salt – I like to use Maldon sea salt flakes. They add great flavour and a final, light sprinkle just before serving adds some texture.
- Fresh mozzarella – this cheese is most often made from cows’ milk. It has a soft, fresh texture with a delicate, milky flavour. The balls of mozzarella come in sizes which vary from cherry size to almost tennis ball size. You can purchase mozzarella balls loose from delis or supermarkets. They may also be purchased in sealed, plastic tubs. For a less formal appearance, I prefer to tear the mozzarella rather than cut it evenly.
- Fresh basil – Dried basil is not a consideration in this recipe. The use of vibrant, fragrant fresh basil is essential. Choose beautifully green leaves.
Variations:
Tomatoes – use a variety of colours or just regular red cherry tomatoes. You could also use halved Roma tomatoes.
Mozzarella – you could also use a delicious, creamy burrata.
How To Make Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare the tomatoes:
Halve any large tomatoes. Smaller ones are fine to leave whole, but we recommend piercing with a sharp knife.
2 – Toss with seasonings:
Toss the tomatoes with crushed garlic, dried oregano, sugar, salt flakes and extra virgin olive oil. Then, roast the tomatoes in a hot oven until the tomatoes burst and their skins begin to caramelise.
3 – Add the tomatoes to a serving platter:
After the tomatoes are cool, I remove the garlic. I then arrange the tomatoes on a serving platter.
4 – Garnish with mozzarella and basil:
Add the torn, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. I add a final sprinkle of salt flakes, just before serving, for some flavour and textural crunch.
Hint: to extract the maximum flavour, you must roast the tomatoes until they are bursting, their skins lightly tinged brown. Roasting the cherry tomatoes enhances their natural characteristics. The moisture is reduced, the flesh becomes concentrated and the natural sweetness increases as the skins caramelise.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
The roasted tomatoes can be made and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. We recommend assembling the salad shortly before you wish to serve it. If preparing in advance, we recommend allowing the tomatoes to come to room temperature prior to serving.
The roasted tomatoes will release a lot of juice. The oil blends with the acidity of the roasted tomato juices creating a beautifully flavoured dressing. This is the secret to your successful salad. You do not need to add anything further.
It is important to roast the tomatoes in a non-reactive pan. A non-reactive pan is one which is made from stainless steel, ceramic, glass or is enamelled. A reactive pan is one which may interact with certain acidic foods such as tomatoes. A reactive pan can alter the colour and flavour of the dish.
Top Tip:
Although it is a generous quantity of olive oil, I encourage you to not reduce it. It has a wonderful flavour, and combines with the juices of the roasted tomatoes to form the dressing. The juices are so delicious mopped up with some crusty bread.
Serving Suggestions:
Enjoy this delicious Cherry Tomato Caprese as an appetiser, side dish or meat-free main dish.
- It is lovely served with a drizzle of homemade Balsamic Glaze.
- Some fresh, crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices is essential!
- The tomatoes are best if served whilst still slightly warm or at room temperature. If you prepare your tomatoes in advance, do not serve them chilled from the fridge. Their flavour will be dulled.
- Enjoy it alongside a Roast Chicken with some Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes on the side – a wonderful combination!
Light, flavourful and so easy to prepare, this Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad is a winner. It is an excellent way to enjoy tomatoes during the winter when they sometimes have a floury texture and lack flavour. The roasting causes the tomatoes to caramelise and provides sunny flavours which will brighten the dullest day.
Please let us know in the comments below when you try this!
Alex xx
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Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 500 g (18 oz) cherry tomatoes – or grape tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic – gently crushed, but left whole
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes + additional when serving See Note 1
- 170 g (6 oz) fresh mozzarella ball – torn into pieces
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves – use smaller leaves or gently tear larger ones
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees C (355 F).
- Wash the tomatoes and thoroughly dry them. Cut them in half if they are large. Smaller ones can be kept whole, but we recommend piercing them with a knife to stop them from bursting.
- Place the tomatoes in a medium-size bowl.Add the garlic, olive oil, sugar, dried oregano and salt and toss together.
- Turn into a non-reactive baking dish and place in the preheated oven. (See Note 2)Roast the tomatoes for about 30-40 minutes or until they begin to caramelise.Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool.
- When cool, remove the garlic. Arrange the tomatoes on a serving platter with the torn mozzarella and the basil leaves. Pour the roasting juices over the tomatoes.
- Add a sprinkle of good quality sea salt flakes just before serving.Serve as an appetiser with crusty bread to mop up the juices, or serve as a side dish.Option, but this recipe is also delicious served with a drizzle of our Balsamic Glaze.
Video
Notes
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- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Reactive pans: may be made from copper, aluminium or cast iron and react with acidic foods, such as tomatoes. They may alter the colour and flavour of the food cooked in them. Non-reactive pans are those which are ceramic, stainless steel, glass or enamelled.
- Storage: the roasted tomatoes can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Do not serve the tomatoes cold from the fridge; their flavours will be dulled. We recommend assembling the salad shortly before you wish to serve it.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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