Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

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Fresh and simple rhubarb compote with strawberries — roasting the fruit in the oven concentrates the fruit flavor and tastes so delicious! Serve this healthful treat for breakfast or as a light dessert.

This is one of my all-time favorite strawberry rhubarb recipes. Every year when they’re in season it’s one of the first things I make.

Strawberry rhubarb compote is a comforting and delicious way to enjoy the pleasingly tart flavor of rhubarb. Sure, rhubarb by itself is fantastic in pies, tarts and old-fashioned rhubarb cobblers.

But this very simple compote is so unfussy to make and gives you many options for serving — there’s almost no reason not to whip it up right now!

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but it’s such a perfect partner for lightly sweet berries like strawberries and raspberries.

Fruit compotes

Compotes are traditionally made with fresh or dried fruit, sugar and a bit of liquid (water, liqueur or juice).

They’re usually cooked on top of the stove — classic cranberry orange sauce is a perfect example of a fruit compote.

They’re best when the fruit retains its shape and hasn’t turned to complete mush after cooking. Especially in the case of rhubarb, which can become unpleasantly slimy if it’s stewed too long.

I decided to roast the rhubarb and strawberries to make this compote because I love the way roasting intensifies their natural sugars.

The fruit becomes a bit caramelized on the edges of the baking dish, which means you can use a bit less sugar than a compote cooked in a saucepan.

The texture is a lot like a strawberry rhubarb jam — thick, creamy and chunky with pieces of soft fruit.

Speaking of sugar, I sweetened the compote with confectioners (powdered) sugar rather than granulated sugar.

It’s not quite as sweet as granulated by volume, and the small amount of cornstarch in powdered sugar slightly thickens the juicy liquid as the compote bakes.

Serving ideas

There are SO many ways to serve this versatile compote. It’s a perfect garnish for oatmeal, granola or simply spooned out of a bowl all by itself. Here are some other ideas:

• Serve the compote in bowls and top with a spoonful of honey-sweetened thick yogurt and shortbread cookies.
• Make a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes and top with some compote.
• Spoon strawberry rhubarb compote on a slice of lemon polenta cake or any plain cake – my absolute favorite!