If you thought Italian grilled bread topped with tomatoes is strictly an appetizer, think again! Bruschetta Toast is delicious any time of day and makes a great breakfast or light meal.
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What is bruschetta?
Traditional Italian bruschetta is toasted bread with garlic and other toppings. It’s typically made with a rustic bread, while crostini are made from smaller bread such as baguette.
And even though we often associate the word bruschetta with a tomato basil topping mixture, you can find recipes for all sorts of toppings made with mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, or even meat and cheese.
But for this bruschetta toast recipe, I’m sticking to the classic tomato basil combination. However, feel free to use your imagination and add your preferred ingredients to the mix. I’ve even included some of my favorite variations to inspire you.
Why this recipe works
We’ll be using basic ingredients you can typically find throughout the year at major supermarkets. And while there’s nothing like ripe tomatoes from your local farmers market during the summer, you can get away with making this recipe any time you want since it calls for cherry or grape tomatoes.
These small tomatoes are available year round and tend to be sweeter than larger tomatoes. Plus their texture is firmer, making them perfect for making bruschetta toast.
And did I mention the tomatoes are pan roasted? Talk about an explosion of flavor in your mouth!
I like to think of tomato bruschetta as Italy’s version of avocado toast. You only need a few simple ingredients to make a delicious and satisfying breakfast or snack. And if you’re making a more substantial brunch to entertain friends and family, it goes great with pesto tofu scramble and berry vodka cocktails.
Ingredients
As mentioned above, we only need a few ingredients to make this recipe:
- Olive oil: You’ll only need a small amount of Mediterranean-diet-friendly extra-virgin olive oil for sauteing the tomatoes.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: As discussed, these sweet small tomatoes are available all year round.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Balsamic vinegar: A little acid adds a nice balance to the tomatoes, and balsamic is a nice choice since it’s sweeter than other types of vinegar. However, red wine vinegar can be substituted.
- Garlic: To keep it mild, this recipe calls for just a little garlic powder. However, you can substitute a clove of minced fresh garlic if you like a stronger flavor.
- Whole-grain bread: Whether you use gluten-free bread or one containing wheat, rye, or barley, look for ones high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals rather than refined grains.
- Fresh basil leaves: If basil isn’t available, try a different fresh herb instead of resorting to dried basil, which isn’t a good substitute in this recipe. Options include parsley, oregano, and marjoram. Or you can simply leave it off.
How to make this recipe
Bruschetta toast is very easy to make.
- Saute the halved tomatoes in a little olive oil with salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, and garlic until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has cooked down.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread.
- Add the cooked tomato mixture to the top of the toast and garnish with fresh basil.
This recipe is best enjoyed immediately. If you have leftover tomato topping, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Variations
This recipe is the classic version of tomato bruschetta, but you can easily customize it to make it your own. For example, try adding in one or more of the following ingredients once the tomatoes are almost done cooking:
- Capers
- Sliced or chopped olives
- Cooked white beans
- Other herbs such as parsley, rosemary, or oregano
You can also spread a layer of one of the following dips to the toast and then add the tomato mixture on top for a heartier dish:
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📖 Recipe
Tomato Bruschetta Toast
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 20 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch garlic powder, (or use 1 clove minced garlic for a stronger garlic flavor)
- 2 slices whole-grain bread, (I use gluten-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, torn or chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add a little salt and pepper, the balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using). Stir occasionally.
- In the meantime, toast the bread in a pan, oven, or toaster.
- Once the tomato mixture is cooked down and has lost most of its liquid, remove the skillet from the heat. Top the toast with the mixture and sprinkle with the fresh basil. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Capers
- Sliced or chopped olives
- Cooked white beans
- Other herbs such as parsley, rosemary, or oregano
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally published 2/19/2018. It was updated to better work within the guidelines of a vegan Mediterranean diet.
Sharron Biccum
Sounds very yummy will try it
Amy Katz
Thanks Sharron!