Bruschetta Recipe

Reduce vinegar

Pour 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey if using. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the liquid has reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon (approximately 10–12 minutes). Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Remove from heat and let cool. The reduction will thicken further as it cools. Transfer to a small bowl or squeeze bottle for easy drizzling. Yield: about 2 tablespoons.

Prepare and toast bread

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1/2-inch (about 1.3 cm) slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Brush each slice lightly on both sides with olive oil (about 3 tablespoons total). Sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt if desired. Toast in the preheated oven until golden and crisp, 8–10 minutes, flipping once halfway through for even browning. For extra crispness, broil 1 minute at the end while watching closely.

When the crostini are hot, rub the cut side of the halved garlic clove across the top of each slice to impart a subtle garlic flavor. Set aside to cool slightly.

Prep tomatoes

If you prefer less juice, core and seed the tomatoes: halve and scoop out seeds, then chop the flesh into roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Otherwise, simply dice tomatoes into similar-sized pieces. Place chopped tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl.

Add minced garlic (2 tablespoons), finely diced red onion if using (1/4 cup), and the sliced basil (1/2 cup) to the tomatoes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction (or 2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar if not reduced).

Season with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a bit more salt, pepper, or balsamic reduction to balance acidity and sweetness. Let the mixture rest 10–15 minutes at room temperature so flavors meld and excess tomato liquid drains slightly; if excess liquid accumulates, spoon it off before assembling so crostini don't become soggy.

Place toasted crostini on a serving platter. Spoon a generous portion of the tomato mixture onto each crostini, allowing excess liquid to stay in the bowl.

Drizzle each bruschetta lightly with the balsamic reduction and a small additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon total distributed across servings). Garnish with whole basil leaves.

Serve immediately so crostini remain crisp. If preparing slightly ahead, keep tomato topping at room temperature and assemble no more than 15–20 minutes before serving.