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Tomato Bruschetta (broo-SKET-uh) is the most wonderful appetizer during fresh tomato season.
The way the sweet juices soak into the garlicky toasted bread is irresistible. You can add lots of different ingredients into a Bruschetta topping, but this
classic recipe lets the tomatoes be the star. Bruschetta doesn’t require any cooking and is entirely dependent on the quality of your
ingredients. Find some good ripe tomatoes, a decent baguette, and you’re in business.
Easy to prepare and bursting with summer flavors, these bruschetta make a great snack, appetizer, or side dish - so good that you could make a whole meal of them.
Try it and you'll be hooked!
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Three different, but delicious, ways of serving Tomato Bruschetta. In the left
photo, just pieces of fresh tomato and basil are place on top of the bread. In the middle photo, chunks of tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese,
and olive slices are sprinkled on top. In the
photo on the right, cheese is added and melted under the broiler. |
More delicious
Appetizer Recipes and
Tomato Recipes for more great cooking ideas.
Tomato Bruschetta Recipe
Recipe Type:
Appetizer,
Bruschetta,
Tomatoes,
Basil
Cuisine: Italian
Yields: serves many
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients:
10 ripe plum
tomatoes, seeded and diced*
3 cloves
garlic, minced
3/4 cup fresh
coarsely-chopped
basil leaves
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed
lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
Coarse
salt and coarsely-ground
black pepper to taste
French or Italian-style bread slices
Traditional Aceto Balsamico (aged
Balsamic Vinegar), optional
* Seeding
Tomatoes: For some recipes, seeding the tomatoes can improve the dish's appearance
or eliminate excess moisture. To remove the seeds from a tomato, cut
it in half horizontally and remove the stem. Holding a tomato half
over a bowl or sink, scrape out seeds with a small spoon or squeeze
the tomato to force out the seeds. Then slice or dice as directed in the recipe.
Peeling
Tomatoes: Now this is an optional, but I usually will take the time
to do this when making this Tomato Bruschetta dish.
Learn
How To Peel Fresh Tomatoes.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
In a medium-size bowl, mix together tomatoes, garlic, basil leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Slice the bread into 1-inch slices. If
you're working with a large loaf, you'll then want to halve each slice
again. Brush one side of each slice with extra virgin olive oil. Place
the slices oil-side down on a cooking sheet, and toast them in the oven
until golden brown. Watch carefully and do not let burn. NOTE: These can be made ahead of time and stored
in an airtight container. Be sure to let cool completely before storing.
Either serve tomato mixture, room
temperature, in a bowl with a spoon and lots of toasted bread slices, or
tops each bruschetta with the tomato mixture and place on a large
serving plate. Try not to top too far ahead of serving, as the
bread can get soggy.
Variation Ideas:
- For an extra-special taste
sensation, drizzle the tops of each bruschetta with a good-quality aged
Balsamic Vinegar (use a dropper). So good!
- Add some mozzarella cheese and sliced olive.
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