My little cherry tomato plant has been a bit stingy, probably because I just put it in a big pot and kind of left in the northeast corner of my back steps for the first half of its miserable existence. Then I tossed it out where there’s some good southern exposure. It was a shock for him. But finally, he adjusted to the August heat and started putting out! So I decided to make Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes.
Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes
I don’t know what’s with me this year, but I just can’t seem to get enough green beans. Maybe I’m vitamin deficient or something. I had to look them up at the World’s Healthiest Foods and was surprised at how good they are for you. I’m happy just eating green beans steamed with a little salt and butter but this year I’ve been trying all kinds of recipes. These are the best of the lot.
About Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes:
Truth be told, I was NOT super psyched about the idea of oven roasting delicate green beans. I had in my head that they might cook unevenly and I’ve never had my green beans roasted. But I had some green beans in the fridge that needed to be used ASAP & I had to do something with them, immediately. And I wanted something low effort. Oven Roasting seemed just the thing.
What a flavor bomb this dish turned out to be. I was actually kind of floored by how good this dish is. I just kept snitching at them as I was taking pics and then had them with dinner. Then today I just ate a few cold from the fridge as I was “shiffling” things around. They were like a cold, tangy green bean salad. So you’ll want to eat them warm or room temperature the first night and cold if you have leftovers. Don’t try to rewarm any leftovers, it makes the texture of the green beans a little odd.
I love oven roasting veggies. You can make as few or as many as you want depending on the size of the group you’re serving and they’re almost always easy. And I love recipes like these Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes that are good hot, room temp or cold. It’s a great recipe for entertaining and simple enough for any old weeknight.
Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Making Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes:
There’s nothing to making this recipe. It’s so easy and just a few ingredients. The juices from the roasted tomatoes combine with olive oil, garlic and a just a pinch of red pepper flakes to make what I’d call a dressing and it’s delish, but toss a little vinegar on when it comes out of the oven & it’s spectacular! You can use any type of vinegar, really. I like white balsamic but regular balsamic, red wine or even white wine vinegar would all work well.
I did add a little of my Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, too, which really took these over the top, but I don’t think I’d go the extra mile next time unless I had it on hand. It intensified the flavor but wasn’t really needed. I’ll post that recipe nest, just in case you’d like to try it. I can think of a zillion uses for a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette!
Make these without lining the sheet pan with foil so you can really get in there with a spatula and scrape up all the little garlic bits and red pepper flakes when they’re done. I’d say there’s no shame in bringing this to the table right on the sheet tray, but you can always put them in a dish if you’re not feeling that casual.
Sun Dried-Tomato Vinaigrette
Saving Money on Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes:
Green Beans go on sale regularly all through the summer, but don’t forget to check your farmer’s market for the freshest green beans and great prices. Over the past few years, we have more and more little farmer’s markets around the neighborhoods that are easy to get in and out of. They might not be as spectacular as the big ones we have downtown in St. Paul or over in Minneapolis, but we can find places that are open in the evening or over the lunch hour so we’re not just limited to weekend mornings. Check online – most areas have a directory.
Be sure to use your green beans as soon as possible once you get them home! They do not last long in the fridge, usually two or three days at best. If your green beans have a few brownish spots here and there, that’s called “rust.” It’s not dangerous but does multiply as the beans are stored, so try to avoid it, or if you find a few spots once you get the beans home, use them right away and trim off any of the worse areas. On your green beans, you’ll want to trim the stem end off; the little whispy end is just fine to eat and can be left on. I find it easiest to line the green beans up in a bunch, then push them back with the knife until all the edges are even and trim across them. Repeat for the other side of the bunch.
If you do have a space to grow a few pots of cherry tomatoes or plant a few, they are one veggie that is well worth the very little time and effort that goes into growing them. Cherry tomatoes seem to be climbing in price and picked fresh from your plant they’re so sweet. If you’re buying, check your buyer’s club, Sam’s or Costco and Aldi, too, has great prices, especially on their multi-colored “heirloom” cherry tomatoes.
Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes with Sun Dried-Tomato Vinaigrette
Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- a good pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar, white balsamic preferred
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
On an unlined sheet tray, add green beans, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Toss to coat the vegetables. Roast for five minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and give the mixture a toss. Return to the oven and roast for about 10 more minutes or until beans are tender. While not as attractive, the sheet tray of beans and tomatoes may be left in a little longer until the beans pick up some color and the tomatoes wrinkle and give off some juices.
When finished, drizzle with a little vinegar to taste.
Note: the cherry tomatoes are small and don’t take much time to become tender. If you’re using the larger sized heirloom tomatoes, add them in at the same time as the beans.
Keywords: Cherry Tomatoes, Green Beans, Salad, sheet tray, Side, side salads, Tomatoes
Slice round objects between two lids! Run knife horizontally thru center.
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I’ll be sharing my Oven Roasted Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes at Fiesta Friday #239, hosted this week by Antonia @ Zoale.com and Lathi @ From Lathi’s Kitchen
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