Easy and Crispy Bruschetta (plant-based)
Yes, finally it is that time of year again – it is too hot to eat hot food and so we crave that fresh taste of summer. Bruschetta is the ultimate summer appetizer. On a hot day it is a dream to enjoy the fresh flavors of ripe tomatoes, onions and basil on crispy rustic bread, finished with a shiny balsamic glaze. You`re getting hungry, aren`t you? Me too!
Make your own Bruschetta using the Best Quality Ingredients
To make sure the flavors are on point I go with the best quality ingredients, using organic cherry tomatoes and basil when I can. I find that organic cherry tomatoes have that rich tomato taste, more so than the non-organic ones. Another pro tip (if you have the time and motivation) is to bake your own bread.
For the best rustic sourdough and sourdough-like bread recipes I look to the pros. And for bruschetta I go with one of these two bread recipes:
- I love baking this rustic white bread by Brian Lagerstrom – which is not made with sourdough but still looks amazing. Also, he made this recipe video for all levels so there are three variations of how to make the bread depending on where you are on your bread baking journey. I go with the third variation/”big”dog” – you`ll get it if you if you watch the video. For this bread recipe you need to make a pre-ferment with dry yeast and the process is quite lenghthy so plan ahead if youre making this.
- I also love baking sourdough bread. I first started baking with sourdough in April of 2021. I actually learned it by watching this video by ilovecookingireland, where Patrick Ryan takes us through the whole process from making our very own sourdough starter to baking the actual bread. Again, this is a process, and if you want to bake your own sourdough bread you do have to plan a bit ahead. But what I really love about sourdough bread is that you let the dough rest and rise in the fridge over night and bake it first thing in the morning. This way, you do not have to stress with the whole baking process on the same day as you are serving your bruschetta.
It`s prep-able! Make your Bruschetta Topping ahead of time
If you are serving your bruschetta as a an appetizer you probably have more than enough on your plate with the main dish. To avoid unnecessary stress simply make the bruschetta topping ahead of time. Actually, I recommend that you make it at least two hours before serving your dish to maximize the flavors. You can make the tomato mixture as early as the night before and leave it in the fridge until it`s time to plate up.
Enjoy your Bruschetta again the Next Day
If you do not eat all of your tomato topping in one day, just store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Toast up some crusty bread the next day and enjoy another serving of your bruschetta. Actually, making “too much” tomato topping is a great way to make sure that you have a delicious lunch for tomorrow.
Try making this classic Italian appetizer the next time you are hosting a summer dinner party. If you make it I would love to hear from you. Please write a comment to let me know what you think. If you snap a picture, tag me on instagram @by.linaelisabeth – I look forward to seeing how your bruschetta turn out!
Easy and Crispy Bruschetta
Ingredients
Tomato Topping /Bruschetta Mixture
- 350 g cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp creamy balsamico
- 1/2 tsp herbs de Provence
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
Toasted Bread and Garnishing
- 6 slices freshly baked bread of your choice I prefer to use sourdough bread or rustic white bread
- Olive oil extra virgin, for oven toasting the bread
- Creamy balsamico garnishing
- a few fresh basil leaves garnishing
Instructions
- Chop the cherry tomatoes into small pieces (each one into 4-6 pieces). Finely chop the yellow onion, fresh garlic cloves and fresh basil.
- Add the chopped cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic, fresh basil and the rest of the ingredients for the tomato topping to a large bowl, mix well with a spoon, put a lid on, and leave this tomato mixture in the fridge for 2-5 hours.
- When you are almost ready to eat it is time to take the tomato topping out of the fridge and toast the bread.
- Take the tomato topping out of the fridge and leave it in the bowl in room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius (392 Fahrenheit), fan bake setting.
- Take a baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper.
- Slice 6 rather thick slices of bread (about 3-4 centimeters), spread the slices out on the baking sheet with the parchment paper and smear a little olive oil on one side of each slice of bread (1-2 tbsp in total), and leave oil-side up.
- Bake the bread in the oven for approximately 5 minutes. Flip the breads and bake for another 2 minutes.
- Place the baked and crispy bread on a trey with the olive oil side facing up. Use a sieve to drain off the excess fluids from your bruschetta topping, then top each slice of bread with a generous amount of the topping. You drain off the excess fluids to avoig your bread from getting soggy and wet.
- Garnish with creamy balsamico and fresh basil leaves, and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper over your homemade bruschetta.
