These savoury roasted cherries are a wonderful way to enjoy cherries. Roasted in the oven with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and black pepper, they are a delicious addition to salads or topping for toast and bruschetta.
Whether picking them from the cherry tree in the garden or buying cherries from the local fruit and veg shop; at some stage during their short season I inevitably seem to end up with a handful left looking a little sad in the crisper in the fridge. This is how this recipe came about: I wanted to save those slightly wrinkly cherrie from the bin.
There are an abundance of sweet cherry recipes around, and on here you will find cherry eton mess, (gluten free) almond cherry cake, and these cherry blondies; but I like the thought of a savoury cherry recipe, especially as they are in season around Christmas, and I am often caked-out by then and craving savoury.
Roasting cherries preserves their sweetness, creating little bursts of cherry flavour that are a delicious unexpected addition to a salad, couscous, or rice. Of course, you don’t need to wait until your cherries are wilting to make this recipe!
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Making these roasted cherries
The balsamic vinegar adds a sweet-sharpness to the cherries. You can balance out the tartness with a pinch of white sugar or honey, to give a sweet-sour flavour. I prefer not to add any sugar especially when the cherries are in peak season and perfectly sweet already.
Can I make a larger batch or roasted cherries?
Of course! I have given the amounts for 150g of cherries, as I usually just have a small amount left looking sad. However you can easily double of triple the recipe – and on the other end of the scale, if you only have a small handful of cherries you can also halve the recipe.
What do roasted cherries go with?
If you have roasted your cherries and are now wondering what to do with them, here are some pairing suggestions to help make them in to a meal:
- Herbs – woody herbs such as thyme and rosemary are delicious roasted with the cherries, or fresh mint or basil go well with them once roasted.
- Dairy – feta, goats cheese, brie, yogurt.
- Meat – pork – especially ham, duck.
- Nuts – almonds, pistachios.
- Grains – rice, couscous, freekah, quinoa.
- Leaves – baby spinach, rocket (arugula), watercress, lettuce.
Ideas for using Roasted Cherries
- Try these roasted cherries sprinkled over a salad (use them instead of figs in this goats cheese salad).
- Serve them as a savoury toast topping whipped feta or goats cheese on toasted sourdough or your favourite bread.
- Add them to a charcuterie board.
- Stir through cooked couscous with toasted flakes almond and mint.
Make ahead/storage
The roasted cherries will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to three days.
Why not try…
You may also like these other simple summer recipes:
Savoury Roasted Cherries
Author: Robyn
Equipment
- small pie dish or ovenproof dish
Ingredients
- 150 g cherries pitted
- 1 tablespooon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme optional
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ fan / 180℃ / 356℉
- Take the pits (stones) out of the cherries, either using a cherry pitter, or using a small sharp knife, cutting the cherries in half and using the tip of the knife to carefully remove the stone.
- Tip the pitted cherries into a small baking dish or pie plate (I use an enamel pie dish).
- Drizzle over the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme sprigs (if using) and season with salt and black pepper.
- Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature before serving, or store in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Herbs – woody herbs such as thyme and rosemary are delicious roasted with the cherries, or fresh mint or basil go well with them once roasted.
- Dairy – feta, goats cheese, brie, yogurt.
- Meat – pork – especially ham, duck.
- Nuts – almonds, pistachios.
- Grains – rice, couscous, freekah, quinoa.
- Leaves – baby spinach, rocket (arugula), watercress, lettuce.
Nutrition
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