This easy Tomato Bruschetta is one of my favorite small bites. It comes together in minutes and requires no fuss. The fresh tomatoes, paired with fresh basil and punctuated with bites of garlic and balsamic vinegar.
This post is sponsored by CK Mondavi and Family. All opinions are 100% my own.
This fresh Tomato Bruschetta is a flavorful appetizer that is easy to make. You can easily make the tomato mixture several hours in advance and toast the bread right before serving. It’s perfect party food.
Why This Tomato Bruschetta Recipe Works
Are you wondering what is bruschetta? Tomato Bruschetta is an Italian dish that’s usually served as a first course, or antipasti. It’s made of grilled bread with garlic and can be topped with a variety of toppings such as beans, cheese, cured meats or tomatoes. This version is a tomato basil version.
One of the most classic culinary flavor combinations is fresh tomatoes and basil. In this recipe, fresh, juicy tomatoes are chopped into bite sized pieces and mixed with delicate ribbons of fresh basil.
As if the flavor of the fresh tomatoes is good enough, this recipe is has punches of garlic (check out my trick for taming its bite) and balsamic vinegar that bring the entire bite to life.
The tomato mixture is piled on top of a crisp baguette slice that is rubbed with fresh garlic. The entire combination is a flavor explosion.
How to Make Bruschetta – Step by Step
- Gather all of the ingredients: This recipe comes together quickly, so to make it easier, gather all of your ingredients before starting. (Photo 1 below)
- Chop the tomatoes and basil: Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces then pile the basil leaves and roll them into a cigar shape. Cut the basil roll crosswise to form ribbons. You can then choose to cut the ribbons into smaller pieces if you desire. (Photo 2 below)
- Prepare the garlic: You want the garlic in this recipe to add flavor, not overpower it. The trick is to quickly saute the raw garlic before adding it to the tomato mixture. (Photo 3 below)
- Finish making the tomato mixture: Add the House Seasoning Blend, crushed red pepper, and other ingredients to the tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Slice the baguette: Slice the baguette into thin slices. (Photo 1 below)
- Prep and toast the bread: Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and toast in the oven. (Photo 2 below)
- Pile the tomatoes on the bread: Right before serving, pile the tomato mixture on top of the baguette slices. Or, if you won’t be serving it immediately, place the tomato mixture in a bowl and arrange the toasted baguette slices around and allow guests to make their own. (Photo 3 below)
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Can you make this bruschetta in advance?
Yes! One of my favorite things about this recipe is you can make it ahead of time. In fact, the flavor of the tomato mixture gets better as it sits and marinates. This is why it’s such a great recipe to serve at parties.
If you plan to make this tomato bruschetta ahead of time, prepare the tomato mixture and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To prep the baguette, slice and toast them. Once they are fully cooled, rub with garlic then cover the slices with a tea towel until you’re ready to serve. I wouldn’t recommend doing this step more than four hours before you plan to serve them.
What to Serve with Tomato Bruschetta
One of my favorite ways to enjoy this recipe is bruschetta with mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella slices are a great addition to this super simple recipe.
If you’re trying to watch your carb intake, you can serve this tomato bruschetta with fresh vegetables instead of baguette slices. You can also serve it atop a slice of fresh mozzarella, as I mentioned.
RECIPES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
This easy Tomato Bruschetta pairs wonderfully with CK Mondavi and Family’s 2017 Merlot. This is a great entry-level merlot. It’s soft and velvety and very approachable.
It’s one of two major varieties in California. You can taste the cherries and vanilla oak in the background. Plus, there’s a nice tanin balance. If you’ve wanting to try merlot this is a great representation.
Personally, I like this merlot slightly chilled. I find the 15 minutes in the fridge makes this wine very refreshing.
CK Mondavi and Family has been hand-crafting fine wines for four generations. Grapes are harvested from their 1850 acres of prime California vineyards to produce top quality wines that can be enjoyed for any occasion.
We recently had a little outdoor get-together and served this fresh Tomato Basil Bruschetta with a variety of CK Mondavi wines while we played some bocci ball. Everyone had a blast!
Expert Tips for Making the Best Tomato Basil Bruschetta
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately.
- Make It In Advance: Prep the tomato mixture up to one day in advance. The longer it marinates, the better the flavor gets.
- Try New Flavors: Feel free to add other ingredients such as roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella or whatever your heart desires.
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Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil - divided
- 4 cloves garlic - divided
- 5 Roma tomatoes - seeded and chopped small
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon House Seasoning Blend
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large baguette - sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Mince two cloves of garlic into a fine mince.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a small skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- In a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tomatoes, basil, vinegar, House Seasoning Blend and red pepper flakes.
- Add garlic and oil from the skillet and stir until completely combined.
- Let tomato mixture marinate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, lay the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Toast bread for 10 minutes or until golden, turning halfway through.
- Let bread cool for 5 minutes.
- While toast is cooling, slice remaining 2 cloves of garlic in half lengthwise.
- After bread has cooled, rub the top of each toast slice with the halved garlic cloves.
- Serve toasted bread slices with a spoonful of tomato mixture on top.
Notes
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately.
- Make It In Advance: Prep the tomato mixture up to one day in advance. The longer it marinates, the better the flavor gets.
- Try New Flavors: Feel free to add other ingredients such as roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella or whatever your heart desires.
Nutrition
- Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust!
- When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
- I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat. This one is my favorite.
- When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
- The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate. Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.
Christina says
I love bruschetta and this recipe is so versatile. The CK Mondavi Merlot is a perfect pairing.
Christina Hitchcock says
I am glad you loved this recipe! It is definitely the perfect pairing!