This tomato bruschetta is easy to make in 10 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. Learn how to make bruschetta better than your favorite Italian restaurant with this easy bruschetta recipe.
I can't think of an appetizer more perfect for summer than tomato bruschetta. I love walking out to my garden on a warm summer day, picking fresh ripe tomatoes right off the vine, gathering a handful of fresh basil leaves and heading straight to the kitchen to make this recipe - served on top of homemade french bread!
This easy bruschetta recipe comes together in 10 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients but don't let that fool you, it's truly the best bruschetta I've ever had - even more delicious than my favorite Italian restaurant.
In this post you will learn how to make bruschetta as we walk through the process together.
Tomato Bruschetta Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Vine-ripened tomatoes. Use your favorite tomato variety such as heirloom tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, etc.
- Fresh basil. This really is a non-negotiable ingredient. I don't recommend making substitutions.
- Olive oil.
- Balsamic Vinegar. There is a difference between excellent balsamic vinegar and your run-of-the-mill varieties. High-quality balsamic vinegar should be so thick that it pours like syrup. It should be dark brown and taste sweet. It should most definitely NOT be thin, watery, or sour-tasting. My favorite balsamic vinegar can be found here.
- Minced Garlic. I buy organic minced garlic in a jar and use that since I don't ever seem to have time to mince fresh garlic. But you can choose whichever you prefer.
- Bread. I enjoy using sourdough, Italian bread, or homemade French bread, etc. Just make sure to slice it into individual serving size pieces before toasting.
How to Make Bruschetta
This bruschetta recipe is easy to make, the most time-consuming part is chopping the ingredients. We'll walk through how to make bruschetta step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video.
Make the tomato Bruschetta
The first step in this recipe is to make the tomato bruschetta so it can chill for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. That being said, I have served it immediately and it still tastes amazing.
Begin by finely chopping the basil and dicing the tomatoes. I will often remove some of the excess seedy/watery portions of the tomatoes to avoid a runny bruschetta.
Then, make the dressing by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic in a medium bowl and stir or whisk to combine.
Next, add the diced tomatoes and basil to the bowl with the dressing and stir to combine.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, then cover the bowl and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
Make the toasted bread
After the tomato bruschetta has chilled, it's time to make the toasted bread for serving. Begin by slicing the bread into individual-sized servings.
Then, spread the sliced bread evenly on a large baking sheet and brush the surface of each piece with olive oil.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, until the bread is toasted but not too hard/crispy. I should be soft to bite into but toasted enough to hold the bruschetta without turning mushy.
Serve
Spoon the bruschetta on top of the toasted bread. If desired, add a thin slice of mozzarella cheese to the top. Serve as an appetizer to your favorite Italian dishes like this pesto pasta, spaghetti and homemade meatballs, or pasta primavera.
Store
Store leftover tomato bruschetta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this recipe. Do not store the bruschetta on top of bread.
Recipe FAQs
Bruschetta can be served room temperature or cold - I prefer and suggest serving this tomato bruschetta recipe cold.
I suggest using sourdough bread, French Bread, or Italian bread to make this recipe.
What main dish goes with bruschetta?
Serve this bruschetta recipe with your favorite Italian dishes. Some suggestions include: pesto pasta, spaghetti and homemade meatballs, pasta primavera, homemade gnocchi, and spinach tortellini.
Dice the tomatoes into small cubes. Remove excess watery/seedy portions of the tomatoes.
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Easy Tomato Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs tomatoes (Roma, heirloom, vine tomatoes, etc)
- ½ cup fresh basil minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 loaf bread (French, Italian, sour dough, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh mozzarella for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the tomato bruschetta
- Finely chop the basil and dice the tomatoes.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic and stir to combine.
- Add the diced tomatoes and basil and stir to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Make the toasted bread
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice bread into individual-sized servings.
- Spread the bread evenly on a large baking sheet and brush the surface of each piece with olive oil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, until the bread is toasted but not too hard/crispy. I should be soft to bite into but toasted enough to hold the bruschetta without turning mushy.
Assemble the bruschetta
- Spoon the bruschetta on top of the toasted bread. If desired, add a thin slice of mozzarella cheese to the top. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
To make in a food processor
You can also make this recipe in the food processor, but you have to be very careful not to over-process. To do this:- Put the garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and whole basil leaves in the container of a food processor with an “S” blade.
- Process until the basil is roughly chopped.
- Add half of the tomatoes and pulse once or twice to chop.
- Add the other half of the tomatoes and pulse to chop.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Vine-ripened tomatoes. Use your favorite tomato variety such as heirloom tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, etc.
- Fresh basil. This really is a non-negotiable ingredient. I don't recommend making substitutions.
- Olive oil.
- Balsamic Vinegar. There is a difference between excellent balsamic vinegar and your run-of-the-mill varieties. High-quality balsamic vinegar should be so thick that it pours like syrup. It should be dark brown and taste sweet. It should most definitely NOT be thin, watery, or sour-tasting. My favorite balsamic vinegar can be found here.
- Minced Garlic. I buy organic minced garlic in a jar and use that since I don't ever seem to have time to mince fresh garlic. But you can choose whichever you prefer.
- Bread. I enjoy using sourdough, Italian bread, or homemade French bread, etc. Just make sure to slice it into individual serving size pieces before toasting.
Store
Store leftover bruschetta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this recipe. Do not store the bruschetta on top of bread.Nutrition
Photos in this post were taken by Jamie from Dishing Out Health.
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