Gordon Ramsay’s tomato salad is sweet, peppery and rich. Cherry tomatoes roast at 150°C (300°F) for up to 90 minutes until almost jam-like, then get tossed with fresh watercress, shallot rings and aged balsamic. Serves 4 with just 10 minutes of hands-on work.
In Ultimate Home Cooking, he serves it alongside halloumi and courgette cakes. His real trick is making the tomatoes in big batches and storing them in olive oil for sandwiches, pasta and toast all week.
What makes it work is the patience. At 150°C the water evaporates without steaming, so the natural sugars concentrate instead of just softening. A sprinkle of caster sugar accelerates that caramelisation, and the thyme and garlic infuse gently as everything shrinks down.
Gordon Ramsay’s Tomato and Watercress Salad
Course: SaladCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes1
hour30
minutes95
kcal100
minutesEasy
A minimal but intensely flavoured salad from Gordon’s Ultimate Home Cooking. Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes with watercress and aged balsamic, costing roughly 80p per serving from Tesco.
Ingredients
300g cherry tomatoes, halved (use a mixture of colours if you can)
2 thyme sprigs, leaves only
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
Caster sugar, for sprinkling
Olive oil, for drizzling
125g watercress, well washed
½ banana shallot, sliced into rings
Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Roast the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2). Arrange the tomatoes cut side up in a single layer on a baking tray. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, garlic and a couple of pinches of sugar, then season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Slow roast: Place in the oven for 1 to 1½ hours, until the tomatoes have shrivelled up and their flavour has concentrated. There is no need to check or turn them during this time.
- Assemble the salad: Place the watercress in a serving bowl and add the shallot rings and warm roasted tomatoes. Mix gently so the watercress wilts very slightly from the heat of the tomatoes.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle with olive oil and a couple of splashes of aged balsamic vinegar. Season to taste and serve straight away.
FAQs
Why roast tomatoes so slowly?
At 150°C the water inside the tomatoes evaporates gradually without steaming the flesh, so the natural sugars concentrate and the flavour becomes almost jam-like. High heat does the opposite: it softens them quickly but leaves too much moisture behind, which means less intensity.
The sprinkle of caster sugar draws moisture out of the cut surface and kickstarts caramelisation. Combined with the thyme and garlic, that low slow heat turns ordinary cherry tomatoes into something that tastes far more expensive than it is.
Can I store the roasted tomatoes?
Ramsay specifically says he makes these in large batches and keeps them in olive oil in the fridge. Stored like that, they last a good week and you can pull them out for sandwiches, bruschetta, pasta or just piled on toast with goat’s cheese.
That batch cooking angle is what makes this recipe worth the oven time. You’re not just making a salad, you’re prepping an ingredient that improves everything it touches for the next few days.
What should I serve this salad with?
In the book, Ramsay pairs it with halloumi and courgette cakes, but it works just as well alongside any protein that needs a fresh, sharp side. Try it next to a grilled salmon fillet or a thick-cut sirloin steak where the balsamic and watercress cut through the richness.
For a Sunday spread, it sits beautifully alongside a roast pork loin because the sweetness of the tomatoes balances the savoury meat perfectly.
Do I need aged balsamic vinegar?
It makes a noticeable difference. Aged balsamic is thicker, sweeter and coats the tomatoes without running off, while standard balsamic is thinner and sharper. You don’t need anything fancy, just look for “aceto balsamico di Modena” that’s been aged at least a few years. Tesco and Sainsbury’s both stock decent options for £3 to £5.
If you only have regular balsamic, reduce it in a small pan over low heat for a few minutes until it thickens. That gets you close.
How is this different from Ottolenghi’s roasted tomatoes?
Ottolenghi chars his cherry tomatoes at high heat (220°C for 20 minutes then under the grill), adds cumin and lemon strips, and serves them hot over cold yoghurt. It’s bold, spiced and designed as a warm-cold contrast.
Ramsay takes the slow route at half the temperature, uses just thyme and garlic, and finishes with balsamic and watercress instead of yoghurt. His version is more subtle and works as a standalone salad rather than a dip. Both are worth making, but they’re almost opposite in approach. You’ll find every salad from his books compared in the full guide.
