Brown Butter Roasted Tomatoes

Highlight tomatoes in this wonderful and easy brown butter roasted tomatoes appetizer. Served warm on a bed of tzatziki and fried capers, this starter will be the star of your meal.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are the primary ingredient in the recipe, providing a sweet and juicy base for the dish.
• Butter: Browned butter enhances the flavor of the tomatoes by adding a nutty, caramelized taste.
• Herbs: Rosemary and thyme add a savory and aromatic flavor to the tomatoes, complementing the sweetness of the brown butter.
• Red chili flakes: Enhance the overall flavor profile by adding a subtle heat
• Labneh: Provides a creamy element to the tzatziki and offers a cooling contrast to the warm, roasted tomatoes.
• Dill: Adds a bright, fresh flavor to the tzatziki,
• Capers: Fried capers add a crunchy texture to the dish, providing a satisfying contrast to the soft tomatoes and tzatziki.
• Maldon salt: Used as a finishing garnish, adding a flaky crunchy texture and little bits of saltiness.

Substitutions and variations

• Dairy-free: Use dairy-free Greek yogurt for the tzatziki.
• Toppings: You can bulk up the salad with more toppings such as parsley, mint, toasted pine nuts, or lemon zest.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare tomatoes

Ottolenghi roasts tomatoes with cumin, oregano, thyme, and olive oil in the oven until charred. I decided to roast my tomatoes in brown butter because, well, why not? I love the nutty flavor of brown butter and thought it would be wonderful with the tomatoes.

Melt ¼ cup butter in a pan over medium heat until it starts to smell nutty and turns a beautiful deep brown. Now toss those tomatoes in the brown butter and add garlic, sugar, red chili flakes, thyme, and rosemary.

Cover the pan to allow the tomatoes to soften, then, remove the cover and continue to roast for another 5-7 minutes or until charred.

Step 2: Make toppings

The tomatoes alone would be fantastic as a topping for salads, roasted chicken, grilled steak, or crostini. However, we're going to incorporate yogurt just like how Ottolenghi did. The hot tomatoes turn the yogurt creamy and pair so wonderfully together.

I wanted to give my dish a Mediterranean spin so I decided to pair the tomatoes with tzatziki instead of plain yogurt. Combine the labneh with fresh dill, cumin, grated garlic, and lemon zest, and season the tzatziki with salt and pepper.

We're also going to take it one step further and garnish the dish with fried capers. Drain the capers and pat them dry with paper towels. Then, heat ¼ cup oil and fry the capers until they darken in color.

Step 3: Putting it all together

Spread the tzatziki on a plate and spoon the tomatoes along with the juices right on top. Garnish the brown butter roasted tomatoes with the fried capers, fresh basil, freshly cracked pepper, and sea salt.

Serve the tomatoes with crusty bread, making sure to spoon all that goodness on the bread. Ottolenghi, you are a true genius and although my version is slightly different, I love both recipes equally.

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can cook the tomatoes the day before and reheat them right before serving. The fried capers and tzatziki can also be prepared the day before.
• Store: Keep leftovers in airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. If possible, store the tomatoes and tzatziki separately.

Frequently asked questions

More summer appetizer recipes

Looking for more summer appetizer ideas? Try these:

Recipe

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Roasted Tomatoes

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Brown butter roasted tomatoes

• ¼ cup butter
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprig
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Tzatziki

• 1 cup labneh
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
• 2 garlic cloves grated
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon cumin ground
• salt and pepper

Remaining ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers drained and patted dry with paper towels
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• freshly cracked black pepper
• Maldon salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until it starts to smell nutty and browns, about 5-7 minutes.
• Place the tomatoes in a baking dish along with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, sugar, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Pour the browned butter into the mix, stirring to coat. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to roast for another 5-7 minutes or until slightly charred.
• Meanwhile, make the tzatziki. Mix together the labneh with dill, garlic, lemon zest, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat ¼ cup in a small saucepot over high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer (at around 375 degrees F), add the capers and fry for 2-3 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Remove the capers with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil on paper towels.
• Spread the tzatziki on a serving plate and top with the brown butter roasted tomatoes. Garnish the tomatoes with the fried capers, fresh basil, freshly cracked black pepper, and Maldon salt. Serve with crusty bread.

Notes

inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's "Hot Charred Tomatoes with Cold Yogurt" recipe