A bold statement, we know. But truly, this cherry tomato confit recipe is the one we make over and over again, week after week.
- The slow roasted tomatoes are the star of the show! They burst when cooked in olive oil and take on an intense, concentrated flavor that pairs beautifully with the garlic and shallots.
- If you’ve never had slow roasted garlic or garlic confit, just wait. One bit of this sweet, creamy, tender roast garlic and you’ll see what all the fuss is about!
- The shallots cook down and melt like buttah.
- Leftover extra-virgin olive oil is infused with a deep garlicky, tomato flavor. Use it to cook any and all dishes!
- An easy, hands off appetizer — serve this with crostini or crackers and watch as guests devour!
What is Confit?
Confit cooking is a French method of preserving food in which ingredients are cooked slowly, typically in their own fat. For instance, to make duck confit, duck legs are roasted for hours in duck fat.
When making confit vegetables, such as garlic confit or shallots confit, you can substitute a high quality extra virgin olive oil in place of animal fat, which is what we use.
Ingredients for Cherry Tomato Confit
This recipe is made with clean, fresh ingredients and is naturally vegan.
- Cherry tomatoes or other small tomatoes: Could you use other tomatoes? Sure, just halve or quarter them to get them into smaller pieces! Plum tomatoes work well!
- Whole heads of garlic, unpeeled (trust us!!): This cooks down until the cloves are soft, sweet, and nutty!
- Whole shallots, peeled: Just like with our roasted shallots, these become so soft and tender, you will eat them like candy!
- Kosher salt: To season all ingredients
- Freshly ground black pepper: To season all ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil: Not only does this add flavor, but it keeps the tomatoes from burning during the long cook time.
- Fresh basil: We also love fresh thyme, oregano, or rosemary – feel free to substitute other herbs!
Whichever fresh herbs you use, just remember to remove the sprigs before serving!
Want to give the confit a slight kick? Add ¼ teaspoons of red pepper flakes. Brings the heat level up!
What to Serve With Confit
We have been known to scoop this up with a spoon and eat it straight out of the pan. Judgment-free zone here, yes? If you insist on eating it with something, we recommend the following:
- drizzle the oil or oil and tomatoes over bowls of pasta (how delicious would a caprese-style pasta be with confit tomatoes, mozzarella, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar?)
- served on creamy whipped feta or with homemade ricotta
- on top of toast, either plain or with a schmear of cheese and some anchovies
- with thinly sliced Italian meats
- spooned over grilled chicken
- as a side dish to sautéed shrimp
- toss with roasted veggies
The tomatoes slowly burst as they cook in the olive oil, giving the finished dish a deeply intense tomato flavor. It is crazy good!
How Long Does Tomato Confit Last?
This cherry tomato confit recipe will keep for 3-4 weeks in a refrigerator, however it rarely makes it past 3 or 4 days.
We’ve been known to make this recipe 2x in a week, easily! It disappears so fast and can be added to so many summer recipes!
How to Store Tomato Confit
For storage: allow tomatoes to cool to room temperature, then place mixture into canning jars or other airtight container, along with shallots, garlic (squeeze out of the skin after cooking), and infused olive oil. Seal, then store in a fridge until needed.
Freezing Cherry Tomato Confit
To freeze tomato confit: follow traditional canning methods (this is a great article explaining the process!).
Alternatively, you can portion a few tablespoons of the confit into ice cube trays, freeze, then place individual cubes in a freezer safe container. This is great for adding to sauces — just pop the frozen cubes into whatever you’re cooking; they’ll defrost quickly!
Hop over to your local farmer’s market or favorite grocery store and grab the simple ingredients needed to make summer’s favorite dish! Cherry tomato confit, you are the dish we’ve waited our whole lives for! Don’t let tomato season go by without making this at least once.
If you make this Cherry Tomato Confit recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !! We LOVE seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
For more simple, flavorful dishes, check out the following recipes:
- Easy chicken milanese with fennel salad
- Sheet pan pork with red onion and peaches
- Spicy crab pasta with lemon and capers
- Accidental vegan roasted vegetable salad
- Blackened salmon recipe with pineapple-avocado salsa
Cherry Tomato Confit Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 2 heads garlic sliced in half
- 2 large shallots peeled and sliced in half
- a handful of fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, or thyme
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ~1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil or enough to almost reach the tops of the tomatoes
Optional for serving:
- crusty baguette
- cheese
- crackers
- Italian meats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tomatoes in a large baking dish with deep sides. Add 2 heads of garlic, cut side up, as well as 1 shallots. Just nestle them in there.
- Cover with olive oil, making sure to almost reach the tops of the tomatoes (you may need more olive oil depending on the size of your baking dish). Sprinkle with 1 tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, then top with fresh herbs. No need to push herbs down into olive oil, they can rest on top.
- Roast for 1 hour, or until garlic and shallots have become soft and sweet, and the tomatoes have browned on top and begin bursting. Let cool slightly. Gently squeeze garlic cloves out of peel and into the tomatoes and oil, discarding the skin. Serve with crusty bread, crackers, fresh cheese, Italian meats – the possibilities are endless!
Video
Notes
- Tomatoes: use small grape or cherry tomatoes here instead of larger varieties; the skins burst in the oven and become less ‘soupy’ than if you cut up a bunch of heirloom or vine tomatoes. Do NOT substitute with canned!
- Herbs: use any variety of herbs you like or have on hand! Basil is my favorite, but thyme, oregano, dill, whatever you’ve got will be fine!
- Olive oil: in many recipes I’ll call for high quality olive oil to finish a dish. Here, you want a more run of the mill, budget-friendly olive oil. The flavor of the tomatoes and garlic will gently steep the olive oil.
- Garlic: simply cut the head of garlic in half, no need to remove or peel each clove individually. Once roasted, the garlic is soft enough to squeeze directly out of the peel and into the tomatoes and olive oiul.
- Shallots: while not necessary, the shallots will soften until tender and super sweet. Add them if you’ve got ’em!
Definitely made this and most DEFINITELY loved it. It was gone by the next morning. My kids ate it and are demanding more (as kids will do). I’m so happy to oblige.
Thank you for our new favorite thing to make!
omg YAY! I am so, so glad your family loved it as much as our! this is one recipe we will make over and over and over! xo
this is so delicious! I made this confit for a cocktail night and it was inhaled in ~20 minutes. I don’t know if I’m more excited about the super juicy tomatoes, the roasted garlic or the leftover flavored olive oil. all of it is amazing!
Isn’t this recipe the best?! I couldn’t ask for an easier way to feed a group when entertaining. I am SO GLAD you and your friends loved it as much as we do!!! xo
Absolutely LOVED it. Also, love all your suggestions to pair this with. I will be making this many more times in the foreseeable future! Thank you so much Ari!
I am so so so glad you love this as much as we do!!!
This has become the star of my antipasto platter. So easy but a total showstopper. My favorite type of recipe: great ingredients, simple technique, big WOW.
That is a perfect way to sum up this recipe. Minimal effort, HUGE payoff! We serve this all summer long! xo, Ari
I made this and the flavor and smells were amazing! When I put it in a canning jar in the fridge though, the oil started to become solid. Is this still safe to eat? Thank you!
Hey Zack! Yes, absolutely! The oil solidifies when it gets cold, but storing it in the fridge is the safest option. You can either allow the tomatoes and oil to slowly come to room temperature (the oil will become liquid again quickly!) or you can dump the entire container into a sauce pan and warm on a stove. Even a microwave is fine! It’s just oil, tomatoes, and garlic, no dairy. Heat any way you like! xo, Ari
I was expecting it to be good but not THAT good. We loved it. It was simply incredible.
We served it on top of a mushroom risotto which was so so delicious. All the flavors were wow! I’m so happy I have this recipe a try.
Agree to agree! Tomato confit is out of this world delicious! Enjoy the leftovers, they go well with practically everything! xo, Ari
I tried this recipe for the first time months ago and my friends are STILL bringing it up. I get regular requests to make this for virtually any occasion! I, of course, oblige because it is not only a fantastic side but just the act of making it will fill your home with a hunger-inducing, mouth-watering, dream of an aroma!
Long live tomato confit!! It is the gift that keeps on giving! xo, Ari
This super simple recipe delivers so much for very little work! We made a huge portion of it with 2 pints of tomatoes and have many plans for it! Like for breakfast this morning, I had it on top of a cream cheese poppyseed bagel! YUM!! For dinner, in the past, we have tossed the tomato confit with goat cheese and salty pasta water and made a luxuriously creamy pasta. It’s just so versatile and delicious and lasts a long time! Also great to scoop out onto a charcuterie board with cheese and a good baguette! Don’t even get me started on how well it pairs with wine… One of my favourite, multi-purpose condiments.❤️ Thank you for this recipe!!
Thank you for the glowing review, Ainslie! SUCH a versatile recipe, and yes omg the leftovers can be used in so many ways! Making another big batch next week. ENJOY! xo, Ari
This was so insanely delicious and so effortless – my favourite kind of recipe. Ari has created an incredible recipe that will be in regular rotation. Thank you!!
Thanks, Caitlin! This one is in constant rotation all summer long! xo, Ari
Yes/no it’s socially acceptable to just eat this this from the pan before sharing? This is everything I love in one pan!
Ali, this sounds like me! Totally socially acceptable lol! And the leftovers (if there are any!) are seriously fab over pasta, chicken, and even eggs!! xo, ArI
Holy wow! Thank you for another winner! This is spectacular! Gorgeous and delicious. Will be making it on repeat!
Right?! We literally make this once a week during the summer. And it’s the appetizer I serve most often to guests! xo, Ari
I have a question. If I have multiple batches to make (I have 2 flats of cherry tomatoes just hanging out in my kitchen right now) can I just scoop the tomatoes/herbs/garlic out to freeze and use the same oil, topping off as needed for each batch? I know the oil will be delicious but I can not possibly use up the amount of flavored oil I will end up with if I start fresh for each batch.
Hi Jas! YES, absolutely, just strain it and remove any solids, then it’s good to go and be used again. But just a quick note, as long as the tomatoes are in a mostly flat layer, you can put them all in one large dish (or skillet, whatever you’re using). Maybe the idea is that you want to use a SMALLER dish so as to limit the amount of oil used overall, but if you have a large enough piece of bakeware, you can load it up! xo, Ari
I’m confused – 400 at an hour seems WAY too high and short for confit. The entire point of the technique is using a bacterially inhospitable medium coupled w low and slow cooking. You’re basically roasting these.
Hi Ari! What a beautiful dish and presentation <3 I've made this before and I am making again this evening. Tonight I will serve it as an appetizer with some cheese and crostini. The first time I made it was for a dinner party where it was ladeled over Couscous and served as a side with Chilean Sea Bass. It was delish and a hit!!
Oh that sounds absolutely fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing, Pam! xo, Ari
Delicious, I have made several batches with thyme, as it is easy to remove the stems afterwards. When using larger herbs such as basil or oregano, does one chop the herbs and leave them in or leaved them stemmed and remove the stems?
Started with somebody else’s recipe for tomato cobbler, Don’t need all that pastry; went looking and found this. I’ll adjust the herbs, but I had not thought about the garlic. I’m pretty well into my last harvest for the summer, but I’ll start with the garlic heads nest summer! Thanks for the idea.
That sounds great, enjoy! xo, Ari
This recipe looks simply divine. I’m planning on making it the following weekend. While I’m not a vegetarian nor a vegan, my family & I are currently reducing our meat intake, and surprisingly we’re leaning towards a vegetarian lifestyle naturally. Especially in light of delicious looking meals such as the cherry tomato confit.
We hope you love it, John! Best, Ari
This is a great recipe! I made it tonight and it was delicious! I used a little less garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed this one, we love it too! xo, Ari
Could I substitute frozen cherry tomatoes? I’m looking for a way to use the last of last year’s crop and this sounds delicious
Hi Cat! I’ve never tried this with frozen tomatoes. The only possible drawback I can think of is that the frozen tomatoes might release a bit more water than fresh tomatoes, but I bet as long as they’re covered with oil (as written in the recipe) it’ll still turn out great. Definitely let me know if you give it a try and how it worked out. xo, Ari
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