Bruschetta Recipe
Italian bread toasted with olive oil, fresh tomato, onions, garlic, basil, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic reduction.
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Ingredients
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Bruschetta toast
Tomato topping
Cheese & garnish
Method
Bruschetta toast
- 1
Preheat and slice
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Slice the bread on a slight diagonal into 12–14 slices about 3/4 inch thick.
- 2
Oil and season
Arrange slices on a baking sheet. Brush both sides lightly with 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle the tops with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- 3
- 4
Rub with garlic
Peel the remaining whole garlic clove and, while the toasts are still warm, rub the cut side of the clove lightly over the top surface of each slice for a subtle garlic aroma.
Tomato topping
- 5
Prepare tomatoes
Core and dice the tomatoes into roughly 1/4-inch pieces. If tomatoes are very juicy, scoop out some seeds to avoid a soggy topping.
- 6
Mix topping
In a medium bowl combine diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup finely diced red onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 10 basil leaves thinly sliced (chiffonade), 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir gently and let sit 5–10 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust salt or balsamic as needed.
Assemble & serve
- 7
Top the toasts
Spoon a generous tablespoon of the tomato mixture onto each warm toast, allowing any excess liquid to drain off before placing toasts down to keep them crisp.
- 8
Add mozzarella
Top each tomato-covered toast with a small slice or torn piece of fresh mozzarella (about 2/3 oz per slice). If you prefer the cheese slightly melty, place assembled toasts under the broiler for 30–60 seconds—watch closely.
- 9
Finish with balsamic reduction and basil
Drizzle about 1/2 tsp balsamic reduction over each bruschetta (total ~3 tbs for the batch). Garnish with remaining fresh basil leaves, torn or whole, and serve immediately while toasts are still crisp.