Tabbouleh Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes (Summer Food)

Tabbouleh Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes

Here is an easy dish that takes advantage of the abundance of garden fresh vine ripe tomatoes paired with a cool and refreshing tabbouleh salad. Slow roasting the tomatoes before they are stuffed insures sweet, succulent, and salty tomatoes that are chilled before stuffing them with a zesty lemony tabbouleh. Perfect for carefree summer entertaining; prepared ahead, chilled, and ready to serve as a side with an assortment of cold salads for lunch or paired with grilled meats or fish for a summer supper.

Roasted Tomatoes: serves 4

• 8 medium vine firm vine ripe tomatoes
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• flaked sea salt (Maldon Salt)
• freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 150c/300f

Line a baking tray with parchment fitted with a wire rack.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes. Using your hands coat each tomato evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt while turning the tomatoes and pepper each evenly. Place the tomatoes on the wire rack with ample space around each tomato so they roast evenly.

Transfer the tray to the oven and roast for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Check the tomatoes after an hour by pinching them gently. They should feel quite soft but still nicely holding their shape. The skin should be slightly shrivelled and lightly colored. Continue roasting as needed until done.

Remove the tray from the oven and place on a cooling rack until the tomatoes are cooled to room temperature, then transfer the tomatoes to a platter and refrigerate them for several hours.

While the tomatoes are roasting you can go ahead and make the tabbouleh for stuffing.

Tabbouleh: (click here for tabbouleh recipe)

For this recipe I used medium white bulgur which is more suitable for stuffing.

When the tomatoes are well chilled they are ready to be stuffed. Using a very sharp knife gently lop off the top of the tomatoes and set aside. Remove the inner core of each tomato and discard. Invert each tomato over a bowl and gently spoon out the seeds and juices. Strain out the solids and reserve the juices to add to the tabbouleh before stuffing. Return the tomatoes to the platter.

Serving: Stir the roasted tomato juices into the chilled tabbouleh and toss until well combined. Stuff the tomatoes generously, mounding the tabbouleh at the top. Transfer the stuffed tomatoes to a platter and nestle the tops of the tomatoes on top the tabbouleh. Chill until the last minute for serving.