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How to Make Bruschetta
Diced tomatoes marinated in an olive oil and balsamic mixture served over crostini.
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Bruschetta, commonly mispronounced, it’s pronounced bru-sketta in Italian, is a classic appetizer made with marinated diced tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a bit of garlic and fresh basil.
This classic bruschetta recipe is my absolute favorite, but I love that different restaurants offer their own unique variations. Honestly, I could make a whole meal out of bruschetta alone! The combination of marinated tomatoes, crisp, warm bread, and a touch of balsamic vinegar is simply irresistible. Since this recipe relies on just a few simple ingredients, using good quality ones really makes all the difference. I provide several swaps and substitutions as well as variations on the classic recipe below.
How to Make Bruschetta
Table of contents
What is Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is an Italian antipasto dish consisting of marinated fresh tomatoes on top of toasted slices of bread with many different variations.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes have a thicker skin and lower water content than many other tomato varieties, making it perfect for making bruschetta since they won’t water down the appetizer. As you cut the tomatoes, remove and discard the core and the seeds. Roma tomatoes are available year-round at grocery stores though tomatoes are at their peak in the summer months.
- Garlic – I always use fresh cloves of garlic, the pre-minced jars of garlic don’t taste the same. It loses a lot of the powerful garlic flavor when it’s jarred. This is because it has been soaked in water for a long period of time. Peeling garlic only takes a bit. For a more subtle garlic flavor rub whole clove of garlic over the toasted crostini slices.
- Balsamic – Balsamic vinegar adds a slightly sweet, acidic note to the bruschetta recipe. Balsamic is sweeter and more syrupy than other wine vinegars. It’s made from the unfermented juice of grapes, called “must”, and aged for 12 years or more.
- Olive oil – While all olive oil comes from the fruit of olive trees, it’s not all created equal. Extra virgin olive oil is unrefined and made from pure, cold-pressed olives, giving it more of a true olive taste. Regular olive oil is made from a blend of both cold-pressed and processed oils. I typically cook with extra-virgin olive oil when deciding between the two.
- Baguette – Look for a French baguette with a crisp crust for this crostini. If you buy a baguette for this recipe a few days in advance then slice it ahead of time and store in resealable plastic bags so that it doesn’t get stale and harden.
- Basil – I cut the basil into a “chiffonade” – which translates to “little ribbons” in French. It makes for an aesthetically pleasing garnish. Simply stack the fresh basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up. Thinly slice into strips to create the little ribbons.
How to Make Bruschetta
- Heat broiler. Preheat broiler to high.
- Make tomato mixture. Add the diced tomatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, olive oil, and balsamic and gently stir to combine.
- Let tomatoes marinate. Season with salt to taste and top with chopped basil. Let sit to marinate while making the crostini.
- Dip bread. Add additional olive oil as needed to a shallow bowl for dipping the crostini.Dip one side of each slice of bread into the oil then place olive-oil-side up on a baking sheet.
- Broil crostini. Broil until golden brown, about a minute.
- Assemble and serve. To serve, arrange the crostini on a platter. Top each piece of bread with a spoonful of the tomato mixture. Finish with additional basil and serve.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and Substitutions
- The baguette can be swapped for slices of another bread like an Italian loaf for easy tomato topped toasts. Use the toasted bread slices in place of the baguette as directed below.
- The Roma tomatoes can be swapped for another variety of tomato. If using another type with a higher water content nyou may want to drain them slightly before adding the olive oil and balsamic.
- For a bit of spice try adding 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- For fans of Parmesan cheese, sprinkle a little bit over the crostini slices and toast them again until the cheese melts for a cheesy base for the tomato mixture.
- The crostini can also be rubbed with a clove of garlic for additional garlic flavor.
- If you only have balsamic glaze I recommend using less since it is more concentrated. You can also dilute balsamic glaze with a bit of water to achive the same consistency.
How to Revive a stale baguette
To revive a stale baguette (or any stale loaf of bread) simple spray it with a bit of water then bake in the oven at 350ºF (180ºc) for 10 minutes until it’s crisp on the outside again. Use the slice baguette as directed below.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this easy bruschetta recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
How to Make Bruschetta
Rate this Recipe
Ingredients:
- 5 medium Roma tomatoes, cored and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for bread
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, additional for garnishing (optional)
- 1 French baguette, sliced into 1/2”-thick slices, approximately 15 slices
Instructions:
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Add the diced tomatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, olive oil, and balsamic and gently stir to combine.
- Season with salt to taste and top with chopped basil. Let sit to marinate while making the crostini.
- Add additional olive oil as needed to a shallow bowl for dipping the crostini. Dip one side of each slice of bread into the oil then place olive-oil-side up on a baking sheet.
- Broil until golden brown, about a minute.
- To serve, arrange the crostini on a platter. Top each piece of bread with a spoonful of the tomato mixture. Finish with additional basil and serve.
Nutrition:
Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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This is my go to bruschetta recipe! I had it saved on Pinterest but it looks like the link changed.. happy I’ve found it again. Making with fresh garden ingredients this evening.
Ah sorry about the link change – so happy you were able to find it again and so happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!!
Ik zou graag willen weten wat die vleeskuikens met deze bruschetta met tomaat ,te maken hebben .Zie het nergens terug..
I had this at a restaurant named Vencinsos in Dover DE and I loved it.