Black Bean and Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Salad

This salad is something special – cherry tomatoes roasted with maple syrup until they taste like candy, hearty black beans, crunchy toasted almonds, and fresh feta cheese. If you use really good ingredients to start, it’s the kind of salad that tastes like way more than the sum of its parts. Because the flavors seemed very Mediterranean to me, I threw in some fresh oregano and thyme for another layer of flavor. Definitely give it a try (or at least try the oven-roasted cherry tomatoes – you’ll never look at cherry tomatoes the same way again), and if you’re vegetarian, or just the kind of person who likes to eat easy but filling vegetarian meals.

Black Bean and Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Salad

Serves 4.

• 4 c. cooked black beans (or canned beans, rinsed and drained)
• 1 recipe (about 1 cup) oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, see below
• 3/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 4 oz. high quality feta cheese, crumbled
• Sea salt (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• Fresh oregano (optional)
• Fresh thyme (optional)

1. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes (and their roasting oil), beans, lemon juice, and toasted almonds.  Crumble feta on top and gently stir in.  Taste for seasoning.  If necessary, add additional lemon juice, olive oil, or sea salt.  If you’d like, add a small handful of chopped fresh oregano and fresh thyme and stir in.  Serve at room temperature.

Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Makes about 1 cup.

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 TBS maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wash tomatoes and remove/discard stems.  Slice each cherry tomato in half and place cut side up in single layer on baking sheet with rim.  In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, and salt, then pour over the cherry tomatoes, doing your best to get some oil on each tomato.  Roast for 45-60 minutes, until tomatoes begin to caramelize.  Let cool, then store in a glass jar topped off with extra olive oil (will last up to one week in fridge). Enjoy in your favorite salads, or just eat straight out of the jar.