Tomato Bruschetta Recipe
Need a fresh and delicious appetizer to share that is easy enough for a beginner? This easy Bruschetta recipe is ready in just 10 minutes with only a handful of ingredients like a crusty baguette, juicy Roma tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and minced garlic. We tried to recreate our favorite bruschetta from our time spent traveling through Italy and this is the best version we have found anywhere!
What Is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer (also known as antipasto) traditionally made with grilled bread. This bread is rubbed with garlic cloves and drizzled with good olive oil, then served with toppings like tomato basil salad, a blend of olives, artichokes, etc. Also, it’s pronounced “broo-sketta”, not “broo-schetta.” It’s a commonly mispronounced word in America, but in Italian, the ‘ch’ letters are pronounced like a ‘k.’ Learn something new everyday, right? Looking for an easy appetizer for your next get-together? Some of our other favorites are Caprese Salad and Homemade Mozzarella Sticks!
Tomato Bruschetta Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Roma tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are the best choice for this recipe because they’re less juicy and seedy than traditional tomatoes, which means they won’t make the bread mushy. Red onion Garlic Fresh basil – Don’t substitute dried basil! You really want the flavor of fresh basil here. Olive oil – Choose a quality extra-virgin olive oil—the kind used for drizzling and dressing, rather than the kind you cook with. Balsamic vinegar – You’ll need some for dressing the tomato-basil salad and some for making the optional balsamic reduction. Coarse salt Black pepper Parmesan cheese – This is optional. French baguette
What Is the Best Bread to Use for Bruschetta?
It might sound strange to use a French baguette in an Italian bruschetta recipe, but it really is the best bread to use, in my opinion. A rustic country bread works too. Just make sure it’s a bread that has a soft interior with a crusty exterior.
How to Make Bruschetta
Best Bruschetta Recipe Tips
Use ripe tomatoes. They’re the star of the show here, so you want to make sure they’re at the peak of ripeness. Don’t cut the bread too thin. Nothing’s more embarrassing at a party than having a handheld appetizer fall apart when you bite into it! Drain off any excess liquid. If you make the tomato salad in advance, give it a stir and then pour out any excess liquid that has collected at the bottom of the bowl. This will keep the bread from getting soggy.
Easy Tomato Bruschetta Recipe Variations
There are endless ways to customize this tomato bruschetta recipe to your liking. Here are a few of my favorite variations:
Add fresh mozzarella to the tomato topping for a twist on classic caprese salad. Use colorful heirloom tomatoes in place of the Roma tomatoes; just scoop out the seeds first. Swap the fresh garlic for roasted garlic, which has a more mellow, caramelized flavor.
Bruschetta Recipe Make-Ahead Instructions
If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, you can prepare the tomato topping and store it in the fridge for a day, then make the toasts the day of your party.
How to Store Leftover Bruschetta
Leftover bruschetta will keep in the fridge for a day or two, but it’s best enjoyed the day it’s made. Store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
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This post was originally published in March, 2018. The photos and content were updated in June, 2022. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
