Slow roasted tomatoes are definitely worth the wait, adding a wonderful punch of flavor to almost anything you add them to.

slow roasted tomatoes on top of cheese and arugula on toast

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Don't think that slow roasted tomatoes are the same as sun dried tomatoes, as they are not. These are, to me at least, so much better. You might look at the cooking time and be put off, but don't be. These really are worth it, and it's not as if you need to do anything, just wait.

The temperature is low enough it doesn't even really warm up the kitchen, which is good news if you are doing this at the height of summer. Right now, I would happily take the heat but hey, at least I get these delicious little bites to nibble on.

How are slow roasted tomatoes different from sun dried tomatoes?

Even though it takes a bit of time, it's still quicker than other drying methods and isn't fully drying the tomatoes. The slow roasting really intensifies the flavor without it being overpowering. While I do like sun dried tomatoes, sometimes I find them a bit too strong. That's not the case at all with these.

They have all the lovely fresh flavor of a fresh tomato, and they're still that little bit juicy too. It's also a great way to make the most of tomatoes that aren't quite as full of flavor as they are in their peak season.

slow roasted tomatoes on piece of toast close up

My introduction to these flavor bursts

I first had slow roasted tomatoes from our local farmer's market when we lived in London. I do miss some of the fantastic things we used to get and the super specialist stalls. There was one stall that was just tomatoes, and they were really good.

As well as various fresh varieties, they had slow roasted with a couple of different flavorings. We would sometimes get them to go along with the lovely cheese and bread we would also pick up for a nice, leisurely lunch.

Not that there's much chance of a leisurely lunch these days anyway, but I can still reminisce when I make these slow roasted tomatoes at home. Even if I'm eating super quick or tripping over toys that have been left lying around as I do so.

tomatoes topped with oil and herbs ready to put in oven

These are really easy to make as all you do is:

Split the tomatoes lengthwise. I tend to leave them just joined so they hold themselves flat but there's no real need.
Sit them in a dish cut side up. This keeps all the juiciness in, stops them sticking too much and lets the flavor you put on top seep in.
Sprinkle over a little herbs, seasoning and olive oil. Here I used oregano, salt and pepper but you some thyme or a little chopped garlic are also good. You can experiment with different flavors, but I wouldn't go for anything too strong so you don't overpower the tomato flavor.
Roast! I usually only make these with grape or cherry tomatoes as full size will take much longer to cook.

slow roasted tomatoes on top of cheese and arugula toast from above

How to use slow roasted tomatoes

While I love just snacking on these, or putting them on top of some bread and cheese, you can also mix them into pasta for an easy, flavorful meal.

You can make them in large or small batches, as you prefer, and any you don't use right away you can store in the fridge, submerged in olive oil if storing for any more than a day.

Intensely tomato-ey without being overpowering, gently dried but still juicy inside, these make such a delicious little bite to nibble on or add to other things. Give them a try and you'll love them as much as I do.

slow roasted tomatoes on piece of toast with more to side plus cheese and apple slices

Try these other ideas to use these tasty bites:

On top of basil ricotta toast
Alongside a Spanish cheese plate
In place of sundried tomatoes in bacon and sundried tomato pasta with spinach and cream.
Plus get more summer recipes for lots of inspiration for summer produce.

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