Tomato Basil Bruschetta is a refreshing Italian appetizer and packed with so much flavor. Serve on toasted Italian or French loaf. A crowd-pleaser.
La Lanterna di Vittorio in New York City makes delicous bruschetta. My husband proposed (you can read our proposal story here) to me at this restaurant and every time we have dinner here, we order the bruschetta. The bruschetta arrives on toasty, crunchy bread flavored with red onions, and packed with so much flavor.
I attempted to replicate La Lanterna's version of bruschetta and I believe it turned out really good. Of course, my version has more spice. Enjoy!
Can I make Tomato Basil Bruschetta gluten-free?
Yes. Simply use a gluten-free loaf that is slightly hard, not super soft.
What is the best bread for bruschetta?
Make sure to use a long loaf of bread, I prefer French or Italian. Also, the bread loaf should not be super soft, it should be crusty.
Tips on making Homemade Bruschetta:
- Make sure you drain the tomatoes so your bread doesn't get soggy. This is the key to making a really good bruschetta.
- Add balsamic vinegar, this adds a hint of sweetness.
- Be sure to use an Italian or French loaf. The loaf should be slightly hard, not too soft. Bruschetta should be crunchy.
- Lastly, use a garlic clove to brush olive oil on each piece of bread before toasting. This adds a hint of garlic flavor to the bread.
Different Ideas on how to enjoy Bruschetta:
- Top the bruschetta and fresh chopped spinach over Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough bread and cheese. Bake & toast in the oven. It's so good.
- Add bruschetta to pasta along with cubed mozzarella for some Bruschetta Pasta Salad.
- You can enjoy bruschetta as an Italian salsa. Enjoy it with chips, pita chips, or parmesan crackers.
- Lastly, you can top the bruschetta over Ritz Crackers along with a touch of mozzarella or parmesan cheese. This makes a cute appetizer for parties.
Tomato Basil Bruschetta is:
Refreshing
Delicious
Healthyish
Party Favorite Appetizer
Vegan
Gluten-free option (see notes)
How to make Tomato Basil Bruschetta recipe step by step?
Prep
1. Chop the tomatoes.
2. Drain the tomatoes for at least 15 minutes.
3. Chop the green chilies, garlic, red onions, and julienned basil.
Make the Bruschetta
1. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, red onion, green chilies, and basil.
2. Add olive oil.
3. Add salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
4. Mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes allowing the flavors can marry together.
Make the bread
1. In a small bowl, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a clove of garlic.
2. Drench the garlic in olive oil and spread it all over the bread.
3. Place the bread into a toaster oven and toast for 3-5 minutes until nice and toasty.
4. Top spoonfuls of bruschetta over toasted bread and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
More Appetizer Recipes!
- Burrata Caprese Crostini
- Sun-dried Tomato Ricotta Crostini
- Lavash Bread Pizza
- Jalapeno Popper Garlic Bread
- Tea Party Sandwiches (desi-inspired)
📖 Recipe Card
Tomato Basil Bruschetta
Equipment
Ingredients
for the bruschetta
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes chopped & drained
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon fresh basil julienned
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Indian green chilies, or ½ a serrano pepper use less if you can't handle heat
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
for the bread
- 1 French loaf or Italian, should be a hard loaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
Prep
- Chop the tomatoes.
- Drain the tomatoes for at least 15 minutes.
- Chop the green chilies, garlic, red onions, and julienned basil.
Make the Bruschetta
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, red onion, green chilies, and basil.
- Add olive oil.
- Add salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
- Mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes allowing the flavors can marry together.
Make the bread
- In a small bowl, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a clove of garlic.
- Drench the garlic in olive oil and spread it all over the bread.
- Place the bread into a toaster oven and toast for 3-5 minutes until nice and toasty.
- Top spoonfuls of bruschetta over toasted bread and serve immediately.
Elizabeth says
Your recipe doesn’t mention green chilies but the instructions do. Can you update with what kind and how many chilies is needed?
honeywhatscooking says
So sorry Elizabeth, I updated it. THat will be 2 Indian green chilies - the small Thai chilies work too. Alternatively, you may use 1/2 a serrano pepper which is quite spicy. I've noted that in the ingredients. Use less for less spice. 🙂
Shelly says
It was good but not restaurant style great like i had hoped for. I couldn’t figure out how to soak the flavors into the tomatoes. Tomatoes still were a bit blander than I wanted because the balsamic sank to the bottom of the mixing bowl… I think next time I may need to make it ahead of time and let the tomatoes soak in the balsamic mixture longer.
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks so much for your feedback. I'm sorry this recipe was not up to par.
Pooja says
Fantastic recipe! It was a hit with my family. We topped ours off with some feta 🙂