This easy tomato bruschetta comes together in no time! It tastes fresh and delicious and is a delicious appetizer or part of a meal.
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I love this time of year. It's actually the perfect time in Austin where it's not too hot and not too cold. The weather is getting warmer, and staying warmer. And eating fresh ingredients becomes the norm. Goodbye to soup, hello to raw veggies and fruits! This easy tomato bruschetta feels like the perfect way to ring in spring. Tomatoes, basil, garlic, warm toasted bread... what's not to love?
The great thing about this tomato bruschetta is that it is a perfect appetizer, snack, or part of a meal. To make it part of a meal, just serve alongside some chicken or pasta. When we made this bruschetta, we also cut up a rotisserie chicken and called it lunch. So easy. The fresh tomato and garlic flavors pair so nicely with the freshly toasted bread.
Honestly, the most time-consuming part of this dish is chopping all the tomatoes, but if you have a great helper (like my husband), those tomatoes are chopped in no time!
How to pronounce bruschetta:
And before we move onto the recipe for this easy tomato bruschetta, let's just talk briefly about the pronunciation of the word bruschetta. I keep pronouncing it broo-sheh-tuh. And Josh keeps correcting me, saying it's broo-sket-uh. Who's right? Apparently he is. Regardless, it is a delicious and yummy creation.
What type of bread to use in bruschetta:
Typically, a nice crusty bread works well with bruschetta. When at the grocery store, that means a nice ciabatta or French bread. You can also use sourdough, as long as it's pretty crusty and firm. I'd stay away from soft breads like white sandwich bread and brioche.
What type of tomatoes to use in bruschetta:
I love roma or campari tomatoes in bruschetta. I feel like those have the perfect balance of juiciness, firmness, and flavor.
In a pinch, you can also chop up some cherry tomatoes or a beefsteak tomato, but those won't have the same impact.
What to top bruschetta with:
The nice thing about bruschetta is that it's easy to customize. You can make super-authentic versions, but we always love to just make easy, delicious recipes with what we have around! I'd say the two ingredients not to miss are fresh tomatoes and garlic. Otherwise, you can add peaches, similar to our peach panzanella, more veggies, or different fruits that pair well together.
How to store bruschetta:
You can store the tomato mixture in the refrigerator, either covered with plastic wrap or in a sealed container. I like to bring it to (close to) room temperature before serving over the toasted bread.
I would not prepare the toasted bread ahead of time. That's best prepared right before serving!
Ingredients needed:
- French or ciabatta bread
- Campari tomatoes (or roma tomatoes)
- Garlic clove
- Fresh basil
- Dried parsley
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar - You can also use red wine vinegar!
- Salt and pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese (we use this microplane to grate ours)
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How to make the tomato bruschetta:
To make the tomato bruschetta, first gather all your ingredients together. Take the tomatoes and dice them into chunks. The finely chop the garlic and cut the basil leaves into ribbons.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, and basil to a medium bowl. Then add the dried parsley, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Stir together until well-combined and set aside.
Turn on the oven broiler and grab your loaf of bread.
Slice the bread into ½ inch to 1 inch slices. Place each slice onto a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil, making sure to go all the way to the edges! If you don't get the oil all the way to the edges, the edges will tend to burn under the broiler more quickly. Then place under the broiler until nicely browned, but not burnt.
Remove the bread from the oven and spoon the tomato mixture over the top.
If desired, sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!
Easy Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients
- ½ loaf french or ciabatta bread
- 6 campari tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅛ cup loosely packed basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp olive oil plus more for brushing onto bread
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Dice the tomatoes and put into a small mixing bowl
- Finely mince the clove of garlic and add to the bowl
- Chop the basil into thin ribbons and add to the bowl
- Add the parsley, 1 tsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the bowl
- Add a little salt and black pepper
- Stir ingredients together. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed
- Set aside and let flavors marinate together
- Turn on oven broiler
- Cut half of the loaf of bread into about ½ inch slices
- Place onto baking sheet and brush olive oil onto one side of the bread slices, making sure to get the edges
- Place under broiler until nicely browned. Cooking time will vary based on your oven, so just keep an eye on it! You want the bread to be crisp, but not burned.
- Remove bread from oven and evenly spoon and distribute tomato mixture over the bread slices.
- Grate Parmesan cheese over the top, if desired.
Mike
Oh wow, this looks like just what I need this spring.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
it has been way too long since i last made bruschetta. these look so delicious and addictive. thanks for the inspiration!