A Singaporean Mum

If you love simple recipes that taste way better than they should, this garlic basil cherry tomato dish is about to become your new favourite.

Fresh, fragrant, and ridiculously easy — just a few ingredients come together to create something seriously addictive. It tastes especially amazing with warm focaccia, soaking up all that garlicky basil goodness!

Here’s how I do it!

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Garlic basil sauce:

Basil (about 25–30g, including stalks)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup olive oil (add more if sauce is too thick)

Salt, to taste

Method

1. Clean the cherry tomatoes

• Wash the cherry tomatoes in water with a little baking soda to help remove impurities.

• Rinse well after.

2. Dry and prepare

• Dry the tomatoes thoroughly using a clean towel or paper towel.

• Slice each cherry tomato in half and set aside.

3. Make the garlic basil sauce

• Blend basil, garlic, and olive oil until smooth.

• Add salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp).

• Add more olive oil if the sauce is too thick or hard to blend.

4. Combine

• Toss the cherry tomatoes with the garlic basil sauce until evenly coated.

5. Serve

• Serve immediately or chill slightly before serving.

• The garlic basil sauce also works beautifully as a dip, especially with warm focaccia.