As we transition from late summer into fall, nothing is more enticing to me than stewed, herby tomatoes – these just happen to be stewed sungold tomatoes, but this time of year, any tomatoes will do. Tomatoes are coming down, nearing the end of their (too short) lifespan, and as we get ready for the cozy season, I think it’s only right to use them to the best of their ability.
This Sungold Tomatoes & Crispy Garlic Butter recipe is so simple and aims to use tomatoes in a way that will let them truly shine. It starts with crisping garlic to a golden brown, then removing it and letting the tomatoes simmer in the garlic oil until they burst. The ingredients are minimal, but the layers of flavor are insane. This comes out to be a jammy tomato confit that you can throw on anything, pasta, orzo, grains, toast – I just love to use it with crispy garlic butter on toasty bread. Because butter is trending, haven’t you heard? 😉
Table of contents
What are sungold tomatoes?
Sungold tomatoes are a type of cherry tomato, and they lend the same nicely sharp, sweet and acidic flavor that you find in nature’s tiniest vegetable-fruit. Sungolds have a signature orange color, and they are smaller in size than most cherry tomatoes. They tend to have firmer skin but break down easily in cooking. I’ve used them before in other recipes because they are one of the most beautiful and versatile ingredients to cook with. They lend a bright sweetness without being overpowering, so while you can use other tomatoes in this recipe, I really suggest using sungold tomatoes if you can!
Ingredients for this stewed sungold tomato recipe
While the ingredients here are minimal, starting with the crispy garlic in the extra virgin olive oil adds a layer of flavor you won’t forget. Here’s everything you need for this simple sungold tomato recipe:
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 pints sungold tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Olive oil as needed
- Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, as needed
- 2 tablespoons softened butter salted
- 2 slices toasted sourdough bread, optional, for serving
- 1 ounce freshly grated parmesan, optional, for serving
How to make these jammy sungold tomatoes with crispy garlic butter
What I love about this recipe is that it is all done in one pan. Here is a breakdown of the full process:
- Put a skillet on medium heat. Add a generous glug of olive oil to it, about 2 tablespoons.
- Add in the garlic slices, season with salt and let them sizzle for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove them from the pan and reserve for later, but leave the remaining oil.
- Add the sungold tomatoes directly into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Let them cook for 1-2 minutes until they start to break down and turn jammy.
- Add in the basil leaves and stir. Continue to let the tomatoes simmer until the liquid starts to reduce by half, this should take about 3-4 minutes.
- Take the tomatoes off the heat and stir in the dill. Set this aside.
- Add the garlic chips to the softened butter and smash together to create a crispy garlic butter. You can keep the garlic chunks as big or as small as you like. Spread on top of the sourdough.
- Add the tomatoes to a bowl or plate, or pile them directly on top of the toasts. Grate on fresh parmesan if you like, and serve warm!
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Sungold Tomatoes with Crispy Garlic Butter
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 stainless steel pan
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 pints sungold tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh dill finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Olive oil as needed
- Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper as needed
- 2 tablespoons softened butter salted
- 2 slices toasted sourdough bread optional, for serving
- 1 ounce freshly grated parmesan optional, for serving
Instructions
- Put a skillet on medium heat. Add a generous glug of olive oil to it, about 2 tablespoons.
- Add in the garlic slices, season with salt and let them sizzle for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove them from the pan and reserve for later, but leave the remaining oil.
- Add the sungold tomatoes directly into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Let them cook for 1-2 minutes until they start to break down and turn jammy.
- Add in the basil leaves and stir. Continue to let the tomatoes simmer until the liquid starts to reduce by half, this should take about 3-4 minutes.
- Take the tomatoes off the heat and stir in the dill. Set this aside.
- Add the garlic chips to the softened butter and smash together to create a crispy garlic butter. You can keep the garlic chunks as big or as small as you like. Spread on top of the sourdough.
- Add the tomatoes to a bowl or plate, or pile them directly on top of the toasts. Grate on fresh parmesan if you like, and serve warm!
Autumn says
I made this with tomatoes from my garden and it was wonderful!
Justine says
I’m so thrilled you loved it!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment <3
victoria says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was just lovely! I want to keep these in a jar to have around. Thank you for sharing!
Justine says
So glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and rating – it really means a lot!
Gabi says
I found this recipe through your TikTok! just made a modified version with regular cherry tomatoes and no basil – didn’t have any basil in hand, but even then, it’s so simple and delicious! I see this becoming a staple at home.
Justine says
I’m so thrilled you made it! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment – it really means a lot to me 🙂 Glad this is now in your recipe rotation!
Abha Shah says
I found you on TikTok and decided to try this since this looked easy to make over a quick lunch break. I was not disappointed. My husband and I were amazed at the simplicity of it and how satisfied we were. This will be part of our lunch rotation now that the weather is cooling down!
Katelyn says
Words don’t quite do justice just how good every single one of your recipes are. This one is no exception to that. I’m obsessed with your simple recipes yet sophisticated flavors. I’m forever grateful to have found your recipes.
Justine says
This is the NICEST comment of all time and I appreciate it so much! I’m thrilled you like this recipe and even more thrilled you found my page <33
Kyra says
As soon as I tasted this, I wanted to share it with all of my loved ones. If that doesn’t demonstrate the impact of this recipe, what does? Absolutely delicious. <3
Justine says
I love this comment – it means more to me than you know. I’m so thrilled you liked this recipe!