This bruschetta recipe combines traditional Italian toast with tomatoes, garlic and basil. A simple and friendly entry!
Do you need an appetizer or a snack that everyone likes? Let’s do classic Bruschetta! This Italian appetizer has become ubiquitous around the world for its easy-to-love flavors. Who can say no to crusty toast with savory toppings? The most popular way to serve bruschetta in America is with chopped tomatoes, garlic, and basil, but that’s actually not the traditional Italian way. Here’s how to make it and learn more about the background to this classic dish.
What is bruschetta?
Bruschetta is an Italian aperitif (antipasti) toasted bread with vegetable, cheese or meat topping. The term bruschetta refers to the toasted bread, not the filling itself. The tomato-garlic filling that’s often served in America isn’t actually traditionally Italian. Italian bruschetta has a variety of toppings, often seasonal or at the chef’s discretion (such as mushroom bruschetta, artichoke bruschetta, ricotta bruschetta, etc.).
How to pronounce it
How do you pronounce bruschetta? say the Italians bru-Heaven-your. The sound “ch” is pronounced like a “k”. This word is often mispronounced as bruh-shetta in America. What is the plural of bruschetta? The Italian word is Bruschetta (pronounced broo-Heaven-tay).
Ingredients for this bruschetta recipe
This bruschetta recipe includes the classic American side dish: tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil. This recipe is perfect for summer when fresh tomatoes are plentiful. The ingredient list is simple, but there are a few things to note about the method that make the classic flavors possible. What you need for the bruschetta:
- tomatoes: For all varieties, make sure they are ripe. Some people swear by Roma tomatoes, but this variety of tomato is often tasteless and floury (more on that below).
- Garlic
- basil
- Red onion
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- Baguette
- salt and pepper
Tips for preparing bruschetta
It might sound easy (just put tomatoes on toast!). But there are a few tips for preparing bruschetta. Biggest challenge: The tomatoes are juicy and easily get into the bread. This bruschetta recipe avoids getting soggy at room temperature for at least 1 hour while eaters enjoy themselves. Here are some tips for preparing bruschetta:
- Just chop the flesh of the tomatoes. Discard all liquids and seeds.
- Mix the vegetables with the spices. Add the chopped vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and let sit while the bread is toasted.
- Grill or grill the bread. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and toast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes. Or toast the bread on a grill or griddle.
- Strain the tomato mixture. Here’s the important part! Drain excess liquid with a fine-mesh strainer before topping.
- Add the tomatoes to the bruschetta and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. The extra pinch of salt provides the final taste.
Preliminary preparation and storage
Are you making bruschetta for a party? Here are some tips for preparing this delicious summer appetizer ahead of time:
- Prepare the tomato filling without basil. Store in the fridge until ready to serve, up to 1 day in advance. Strain before using as a garnish, then add the fresh basil. (Basil will turn brown in the fridge).
- Toast the bread first. toast bread Allow to cool completely, then store in a container with a loosely closed lid or a towel on top. Any extra moisture can make the bread soggy, so be careful. If it gets mushy, pop it in the oven for a few minutes to crisp it up again.
- Assemble right before serving. Put the filling on the bread just before serving.
More appetizer recipes
You receive and need ideas to celebrate? Try these appetizer recipes that will please everyone:
This bruschetta recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free. For gluten-free bread, use gluten-free bread.
The description
This bruschetta recipe combines traditional Italian toast with tomatoes, garlic and basil. A simple and friendly entry!
- 1 1/2 pounds or 3 large tomatoes (2 1/2 at 3 diced cups)*
- 3 medium garlic cloves (2 chopped and 1 together)
- ten large basil leaves, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil, shared
- ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 Baguette or thin bread
- sea salt for garnish (or kosher salt)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop and dice the flesh of the tomatoes, removing the liquid and seeds. Chop the garlic, chop the basil and chop the red onion. Gently toss the chopped tomatoes with the garlic, red onion, basil, ½ tbsp olive oil, vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Depending on the type and degree of ripeness of the tomatoes, they will be very juicy: they will strain the liquid later.) Let the tomatoes rest while you toast the baguette.
- Cut the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and brush the top with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil spread over the slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet and fry for 5-10 minutes until crisp, then fry for 1-2 minutes until brown on the edges. You can also toast on a grill or with a grill pan. Once the bread is toasted or grilled, peel the remaining clove of garlic, snip off a flat edge, and rub over the top of each toast.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to drain any liquid from the tomatoes. Then use a fork or spoon to remove the tomatoes from the bowl and place them on top of each piece of bread, leaving the remaining liquid in the bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt (or more kosher salt) to garnish, which will add final flavor. The bruschetta will keep for up to 1 hour without getting soggy.
Remarks
*You can use any type of tomato. Roma tomatoes are less juicy (which helps reduce softening) but have less flavor. Since you’re straining the mixture before topping the bread, any type of tomato will work here.
- Category: aperitif
- Method: no chef
- Kitchen: aperitif
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Bruschetta, bruschetta recipe, how to make bruschetta
