A simple marinated herbed cherry tomato recipe. You can’t possibly go wrong with this recipe. It is also vegan and gluten-free friendly
Five ingredients really all you need: cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, herb(s) of your choosing and extra virgin olive oil. Plus a generous pinch of salt. For those who prefer sweeter tomatoes, I will also include the added option to add a sweetener of your choice too if desired (e.g. maple syrup or agave syrup).
For a smoother and luxurious, silky texture, I removed the skin on the tomatoes. To do this quickly, cut a criss cross slit at the bottom of each tomato then let them boil in a pot of hot simmering water for a minute or two before quickly draining it and letting it sit in a pot of ice water. Once sufficiently cooled (few minutes) you can easily remove the skin off each tomato with a small paring knife.
Once done, simply put the tomatoes in a big mason jar along with the marinade. I like to use a combination of shallot, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, chopped basil (feel free to use whatever herb you fancy but today I decided to use basil and dill as I had some in my fridge), salt and pepper. Added a generous dose of extra virgin olive oil and also a teaspoon of maple syrup. Feel free to swap out the balsamic vinegar with another acid of your choosing such as lemon juice, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, etc.
Now just let the marinated tomatoes sit still in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours minimum. You can also let them soak in all that goodness overnight for up to 24 hours, especially if your tomatoes were sturdy to begin with. I like to serve these with burrata but feel free to use it on salads or to make crostinis.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of mixed cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of chopped basil (or pick herb of your choosing such as parsley)
- 3 shallots, diced finely
- 3 garlic cloves, diced finely
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (or vinegar or acid of your choosing)
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Remove skin of the tomatoes. Boil pot of boiling water and slit the ends of each tomato in a criss cross pattern lightly. Throw tomatoes into pot of boiling water and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Drain tomatoes and transfer the tomatoes into a pot of ice cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes before removing the skin with a paring knife.
- Put peeled tomatoes into a mason jar and add the chopped herbs, garlic, shallot, vinegar, olive oil and sweetener (if using). Add salt and pepper (if desired) and mix. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours or overnight to soak up all the goodness in flavors.
- Tomatoes are ready to serve. Can bring it back to room temperature before doing so (30 minutes in advance).
Notes
* I like to serve mine with burrata but feel free to toss it in a salad, pasta, on top of grilled fish or on toasted bread (like a crostini).
Fancy a healthy meal without needing to break a sweat in the kitchen? Roast fish is always easy to make, high in protein and low in fat.
As for origins, this delicate fruit is native to China. From China, it spread to Korean peninsula and Japan very long time ago, and later was introduced to California during the middle of the 19th century.
 
MOZZARELLA WITH A CITRUS SPARK | In lieu of tomatoes, mozzarella also pairs well with citrus fruits and a hint of lavender oil.
According to Yotam Ottolenghi, customers come to NOPI for this dish alone and they sell about 1,000 each month!
Burrata is second to none and worth seeking out but a buffalo milk mozzarella can be used as an alternative.
 
