These slow roasted tomatoes are incredibly tasty and addicting. They require some patience as the tomatoes need about five hours in the oven, but it is richly worth the wait.
When I tell people I have a website with nothing but vegetable recipes, they are always quick to offer what vegetables they don’t eat – mushrooms and Brussels sprouts usually top that list (<– although you really have to try these Brussels sprouts). It isn’t often that someone will tell me what their favorite vegetable is, but I would guess if they did, most people would probably claim the tomato as their favorite.
After all, tomatoes are the foundation of a great spaghetti sauce, a delicious pizza sauce, and of course, the potato’s beloved sidekick – ketchup.
Check out these other tomato recipes:
However, tomatoes are rarely ever the star of a meal, usually they are thrown on top of a burger or sliced up and served alongside breakfast at a diner. It’s really an injustice as tomatoes are so versatile. I like to broil them with cheese or do a quick roast of them as a topper for pasta.
However, have you ever had a slow roasted tomato? They really take on a life of their own and make for a pretty addicting snack.
Roasting tomatoes under high heat for a short period of time doesn’t alter too much of their flavor. However, slow roasting a tomato in low heat for a long period of time greatly impacts their taste, taking on a smoky tender flavor.
When roasting other vegetables like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, the veggies tend to get crispy. But tomatoes maintain their juice and you are left with a tender bit, not chewy or rubbery if done right. That’s one thing I am not a fan of with sun dried tomatoes, they tend to take on a rubber like texture. I don’t like rubber texture food.
Begin by slicing a tiny portion off the bottom of the tomato so that the tomatoes will stand upright while roasting.
Then slice off the tomato tops and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Next sprinkle a little seasoning over the tomatoes. I like to use herbs de provence because it’s a little bit of everything – rosemary, fennel seed, thyme, basil, marjoram, lavender, oregano, parsley, and tarragon. Herbs de provence is traditionally used in French and Mediteranean cooking on vegetables and lamb or pork. However, these would be equally delicious with italian seasoning or even simple sea salt.
The last step is to slow roast them in a 250° oven for four to six hours. The longer the tomatoes roast, the more concentrated the flavor becomes.
Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Slow Roasted Tomatoes require patience as they need about 4-6 hours to roast. However, they are worth the wait. The longer they roast, the more concentrated the flavor becomes.
Ingredients
- 12 ripe tomatoes, variety- Roma, heirloom, large cherry etc. **
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- herbs de provence, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice a tiny portion off the bottom of the tomatoes so the tomatoes will stay upright during the roasting.
- Slice a larger portion off the top of the tomatoes and arrange on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the herbs de provence (or other seasoning of your choice) over the tomatoes.
- Bake in preheated oven for 4-6 hours (the more the tomatoes are roasted, the stronger the flavor concentration will be)