Summer fresh cherry tomatoes are slowly roasted with garlic, onions, and herbs in olive oil until the skins have blistered. Spoon over cooked couscous and sprinkle with pinenuts for a delicious, comforting, and filling main or side!

I made this dish at the end of last summer when I was trying desparately to use up the last of the cherry tomatoes from my garden. At the time, I thought it was just a great way to use them, but little did I know that Blistered Tomato Couscous would become one of our favourite dinners! Every ingredient is simple, but it’s the preparation that makes this dish so special. Just like in the turtle and the hare, slow and steady wins this race!
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It’s so hard to describe the taste of this, because there are so many things happening. The tomatoes take on a concentrated flavour – much like a sun dried tomato – and the garlic becomes soft and sweet. All of those fresh herbs impart a deep flavour as well as a gorgeous aroma. Served over slightly nutty and sweet couscous with the buttery crunch of pinenuts, Blistered Tomato Couscous is irresistable!
In essense, you will be preparing what is most commonly referred to as a tomato confit. The word confit is a French word that means to preserve or preserved. Applying the technique of a confit to a dish basically means that it has been slowly roasted in oil. When tomatoes are prepared by means of a confit, the flavour intensifies and the toamtoes become even more sweet.

SUMMER FRESH TOMATOES
If you’re thinking about making Blistered Tomato Couscous at all, you must have some summer fresh tomatoes on hand, right? The whole concept of a simple recipe like this is about combining fresh tomatoes with a few basic ingredients. I have used an assortment of small tomatoes. Any small tomatoes will do, such as cherry, grape, or sun gold. I even added a few green tomatoes!
For this recipe, it’s not that the larger tomatoes will not work, it’s just that they won’t give you the same effect. You should use a tomato that is small enough that you will not need to cut or chop it. Whole tomatoes will heat up on the inside and the skins will blister and pop. Larger tomatoes just will not give the same effect.
Since there are very few ingredients, try to use tomatoes that are super fresh and bright red, yellow, or green. A bright red tomato is the best way to be sure it’s perfectly ripe. It should have a good weight to it and it should smell like a tomato. Cherry tomatoes can be found in red, orange, and even pink and black. (Not really black in colour, more burgundy, but they’re called black cherry tomatoes.) Oftentimes, I see pint containers of small heirloom tomatoes – yellow, red, orange, green – heirloom tomatoes would be gorgeous!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- Tomatoes – You can use any small tomato in this recipe, like grape or cherry tomatoes.
- Olive Oil – Use good olive oil, one that you can dip your finger into and like the taste of all on its own.
- Garlic – Use the freshest garlic you can get. Whole, peeled cloves are garlic are used here. They soften and become sweet – perfect for mashing with a fork!
- Onion – You can use onions or shallots. Peel them and cut them into small chunks.
- Fresh Herbs – Almost any combination will do as long as you like the taste. I’m using fresth thyme, sage, rosemary, and summer savoury.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- Couscous – Cooked according to package instructions.
- Pinenuts
- Parsley – For garnish.
HOW TO MAKE BLISTERED TOMATO COUSCOUS
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Wash the tomatoes well under cold running water. Lay the washed tomatoes onto a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of paper towels. Roll the tomatoes gently to dry them. The goal is to eliminate any water from the washing. Transfer the tomatoes to a shallow 9×13 baking dish. Tuck in the garlic cloves and chopped onion.
Next, sprinkle over the various fresh herbs. Salt and pepper everything and drizzle the olive oil over, even distributing it over the contents of the baking dish. Bake for 2 hours or until the tomatoes have blistered and popped and the garlic cloves are soft. Once cooked, turn off your oven and leave the tomato confit in the oven to keep warm.
Once the couscous is ready, transfer it to a large serving platter or individual bowls. Spoon over the desired amount of tomato confit. Top with pine nuts and garnish with fresh, finely chopped parsley and serve immediately.

WHAT IS COUSCOUS?
There are two very common types of couscous. The first type is Moroccan couscous. This is the type I’m using in this recipe. It is small in size, and is easily found in most grocery stores. Also, it cooks up very fast because it basically needs to be just re-hydrated in hot water. Sometimes, the package is labeled instant, but you should check the instructions to see if soaking is needed before cooking.
The second most common type is Israeli or Pearl couscous. This one is noticeably larger in diameter and in comparison to Moroccan couscous, it requires a little longer to cook. First, it is simmered on the stovetop and then briefly covered until tender. It has more of a pasta-like taste and texture with some springiness. I have used this type in my Israeli Couscous Dried Fruit Salad.
Since couscous is made with crushed semolina, it’s basically a pasta. But, it can also be classified as a grain. Therefore, I tend to think of it as a great substitute for rice or noodles, especially since the cooking time is extremely fast, and the price is extremely low!

PINE NUTS
I use pine nuts often in my recipes, so I will buy a large bag at Costco. The bag costs about $40, but it will last a long time. Pay attention to the expiry date before you purchase and buy one that expires in a year or two from now.
Once you open the package of pine nuts, avoid placing your hand in the bag. Carefully pour out the amount you need. To keep the pine nuts fresh and from spoiling, the less contamination the better! Seal the bag and keep the bag in your fridge. It will last for months!
If you want to use a substitute, I would recommend slivered almonds, chopped hazelnuts, or even macadamia. The taste might be slightly different, but you want to mimic the texture of the pine nuts. Any of these substitutes, or the pine nuts themselves, will not need to be toasted first. And, you should buy the unsalted versions.

LEFTOVER BLISTERED TOMATOES
If you happen to have any leftover blistered tomatoes you can refrigerate them for several days. Once fully cooled, transfer the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and all of the oil to a clean mason jar. Pop a lid on it and store it in your fridge until you are ready to use it up. To reheat, simply microwave it or warm it through in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Do You Like This Recipe?
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Blistered Tomato Couscous
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, washed and patted dry
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled by left whole
- 1 cup onion or shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh summer savoury
- 10 whole fresh sage leaves
- 1 cup instant couscous, cooked according to package instructions
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
- Wash the tomatoes well under cold running water. Lay the washed tomatoes onto a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of paper towels. Roll the tomatoes gently to dry them. The goal is to eliminate any water from the washing.
- Transfer the tomatoes to a shallow 9×13 baking dish. Tuck in the garlic cloves and chopped onion.
- Next, sprinkle over the various fresh herbs. Salt and pepper everything and drizzle the olive oil over, even distributing it over the contents of the baking dish.
- Bake for 2 hours or until the tomatoes have blistered and popped and the garlic cloves are soft. Once cooked, turn off your oven and leave the tomato confit in the oven to keep warm.
- Once the couscous is ready, transfer it to a large serving platter or individual bowls. Spoon over the desired amount of tomato confit. Top with pine nuts and garnish with fresh, finely chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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