A dish of contrasts: hot and cool, spicy and creamy, this harissa roasted tomatoes with yogurt is simple to put together and looks great on any dinner table.

This is a dish I always go back to for a quick dinner (usually sans harissa) or a mezze-inspired table. It goes well with everything and it’s always a hit. If you love hosting dinner parties, it makes a great side dish in the summer. In the winter months, when dinner parties move indoors, this fiery version keeps everyone warm and on their toes.

If you’ve been here before, you might have noticed that I love plopping hot, roasted veggies onto cold, thick yogurt. It’s apparently a recurring theme in my kitchen life. The reason is simple: when vegetables are roasted, their excess moisture evaporates and their natural sugars caramelize, resulting in a deeper, sweeter, more intense flavor than boiling or steaming ever could.

As they collapse and soften in the oven, they turn into concentrated, flavorful versions of themselves, begging to be presented in a slightly dramatic way. That’s where the bed of yogurt comes in. The thicker and fattier, the better. More fat means more flavor, and more room to carry other flavors too. Think garlic, lemon zest, cumin, and the like.

The juices from the roasted tomatoes, along with a generous drizzle of olive oil, take this humble dish to the next level, where sauce, creaminess, and vegetables come together to create the perfect bite.

A Little Bit About Harissa

Harissa is a North African hot paste, and just a dab is enough to enliven anything it touches. It’s quite fiery. I’ve tried different brands and noticed considerable differences between them, but at its core, harissa is a hot chili pepper paste, so proceed with caution.

This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon, and the result is quite spicy, so feel free to add as little or as much as you can handle.

Harissa is easy to find, especially in shops that specialize in North African and Middle Eastern foods. Trader Joe’s also carries it.

How to Make Harissa Roasted Tomatoes

This dish is very Mediterranean-inspired, and the flavors are really amped up here. Every bite is meant to awaken your taste buds. In addition to the harissa, there’s also a little bit of capers and lemon, so it’s bright, briny, and zesty.

The yogurt bed is very simple, with no other ingredients added. It’s meant to be a creamy, mild canvas to balance all the bold flavors piled on top.

The good news is that the prep is minimal and there’s no chopping involved. It all comes down to tossing everything together in one baking dish and letting the oven do its thing.

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil, harissa, capers, salt, and black pepper. Spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast until the tomatoes are blistered and jammy, and the juices are bubbling. You want them collapsed and concentrated, not dried out. For a charred touch, turn on the broiler and broil until they’re nicely charred and begin to blacken on top.

While the tomatoes roast, season the yogurt with salt, a generous grind of black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon the yogurt into a shallow bowl or plate and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Once the tomatoes are done, spoon them directly over the cold yogurt along with any juices from the pan. Finish with a generous drizzle of good-quality olive oil and fresh herbs.

The contrast between the cold yogurt and hot tomatoes causes the yogurt to melt and loosen, turning it into a dip of sorts. The thick, high-fat yogurt tempers the heat from the harissa and balances the acidity of the tomatoes, turning this simple dish into something you can scoop up with bread, whether that’s naan, crusty bread, focaccia, or even served as a regular side dish.

Serving Ideas

Naan, crusty bread, focaccia, flatbread, or toasted sourdough
As a side for roasted chicken or fish
Alongside a simple grain or lentil salad
As part of a larger spread with dips and vegetables

Notes From the Kitchen

Adjust the amount of harissa depending on heat tolerance. Some brands are much spicier than others.
Don’t skip the olive oil and fresh herbs at the end. They tie everything together.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?
You can roast the tomatoes ahead and reheat them gently. Assemble with yogurt just before serving.

What kind of harissa should I use?
Any harissa paste works. Just be mindful of heat levels and adjust the amount accordingly.

Can I use canned tomatoes?
No. Fresh cherry tomatoes are essential here for texture and flavor.

Is this meant to be served hot or cold?
Warm tomatoes over cold yogurt is ideal, but room temperature works well too.

If you make this Harissa Roasted Tomatoes with Yogurt please be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and I love responding to every comment.

You Might Also Like…

Cherry Tomato Pasta: A simple, tomato-forward pasta that leans on blistered cherry tomatoes for sweetness and depth. It’s the kind of low-effort, high-reward dish that works just as well on a weeknight as it does for guests.

Labneh with Roasted Beets: Cool, tangy labneh meets earthy roasted beets in a dish that feels both fresh and grounded. Simple ingredients, strong contrast, and plenty of room for good olive oil and bread.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Feta Dip: Jammy roasted tomatoes and salty feta come together into a dip that’s rich, savory, and easy to scoop. Perfect for sharing.

Smoky Marinated Feta: Feta marinated with warm spices and olive oil until it turns super flavorful. A small dish that pulls a lot of weight on a mezze-style table or alongside simple vegetables.

Roasted tomatoes with harissa and yogurt in a shallow bowl — Pin
Print

Harissa Roasted Tomatoes with Yogurt

Servings

2-4

servings

Prep time

minutes

Baking Time

minutes

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp capers
5oz Greek yogurt
½ lemon, zest and juice
parsley, for garnish
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425F.
In a baking dish big enough to fit all the tomatoes snugly, combine the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, harissa paste, and capers; season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Roast until the tomatoes are beginning to blister, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the oven to the broil setting and broil until the tomatoes start to blacken on top, about 5 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, season the yogurt with salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Once the tomatoes are done, spread the yogurt on a serving platter. Spoon the roasted tomatoes on top, along with their juices. Garnish with parsley, freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with more olive oil. Serve.