The BEST Bruschetta Recipe
This bruschetta recipe is literally the best. It’s full of fresh, summery flavors with the added bonuses of a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze and crispy, buttery baguette. It’s a staple in my household and I get begged to make this recipe almost every time I have company over!
I was 10 when I began my obsession with Italy. I wanted to visit, learn the language, and of course, learn Italian cooking. This was also around the age when I really started to become interested in cooking. I have always loved Italian food and bruschetta is no exception. My first memory of having it is in an Italian restaurant in Gettysburg, PA when I was a teenager. How did I live so long without trying it?? To this day, it’s one of the best I’ve ever had.
Can I just brag on myself for a little? I have to say that I’ve had multiple people tell me this is the BEST bruschetta they have ever had. Their words, not mine 😉 Then again, as my friends and family like to say, “You never do anything halfway!” While it takes just a little bit of prep work, going above and beyond by “frying” the baguette slices and making the balsamic glaze is worth the time. You will not regretting adding these extra few calories into your diet for the day! It is a total crowd pleaser and receives rave reviews every time I make it.
Ingredients needed:
Roma tomatoes – Use fresh tomatoes. Bonus points if you get them from a local market or roadside stand!
Basil – Gotta use the fresh stuff, not dried.
Garlic – I typically add 2 cloves of garlic to my bruschetta, but you can certainly add more Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil. My favorite go-to brand is California Olive Ranch!
Shhhh…. Don’t tell anyone the secret for this recipe. Just kidding!! Share to your heart’s desire. The secret to making this bruschetta recipe oh, so delicious is the incredible balsamic glaze that’s both tangy and sweet. I honestly don’t think I could eat bruschetta again without balsamic glaze. It’s like a piece of me would be missing. Ok, maybe not, but if there’s a chance to add it to this recipe, why in the world wouldn’t you??
The other secret is to keeping your ingredients as fresh as possible. In order to do that, it’s best to prep your ingredients ahead of time but not mix them together until you’re pretty close to the time you’ll be serving the recipe. “Gutting” the tomatoes also helps to reduce the amount of liquid. The added liquids and salt will draw out the moisture from the tomatoes, creating more liquid and a squishy bruschetta. And trust me, NO ONE likes a squishy bruschetta!! I also found it’s better when you serve the mixture at room temperature, so if you’ve left your tomatoes in the fridge, you’ll want to sit them out for a little while until they warm up.
What I love about this recipe is how forgiving it is. Most of the time, I simply go off of my taste buds and intuition! Some would call that the sign of a true chef 😉 If you are a measurer and like to be more precise, I included measurements wherever I would. I know you’re absolutely going to love this bruschetta as much as I do! It also goes really well with my bruschetta chicken pasta recipe and it’s a great way to use up any leftover bruschetta and glaze.
The BEST Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients
Bruschetta Mixture
- 6-8 Roma tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic to taste
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt
- Basil chopped or julienned into ribbons, about 10 big leaves
- Parmesan cheese
- Extra basil
Baguette Slices
- 1 Baguette, cute into about 12 slices
- 2 Tbsp Salted butter
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
Balsamic Glaze
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar to taste
Instructions
Baguette Slices
- Slice the baguette into ½ inch pieces. Discard the ends unless using for another recipe.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high. When hot, add butter and olive oil, about 2 tablespoons of each. Turn down the heat to medium-low once butter is mostly melted.
- Add baguette slices. Do now crowd the pan! You’ll most likely have to work in batches. Immediately flip the bread slices to ensure both sides are coated in butter-oil mixture.
- Once the bottom side is golden brown and crispy, flip onto the other side and cook until golden brown and crispy. About 3-5 minutes per side.
- *You don’t want to cook over too high of heat or the bread will burn. It’s better to cook it over lower heat for a little longer. If it seems it’s taking way too long, turn up the heat just a little.
- Set baguette slices aside on a plate.
Bruschetta
- Cut tomato end off where the stem was located, then cut in half lengthwise.
- “Gut” the tomatoes: Pull out all of the juices and seeds until only the skin/shell remains.
- Chop the tomatoes. They don’t have to be perfect! Place in a medium-sized bowl.
- Mince the garlic and add to the tomatoes. If you LOVE garlic and feel like two cloves isn’t going to be enough, by all means, add more!
- Chop or julienne basil and add to the mixture. You can decide how much you want to add. Give a few stirs to incorporate.
- Complete the next steps only just before serving:
- Drizzle in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Start with ½ teaspoon of each. Stir and check for the amount of liquid. You want the mixture coated but not so much that liquid pools in the bottom of the bowl, or your bruschetta is likely to get mushy. Only add about ½ teaspoon of each at a time because you probably won’t need as much as you think you will.
- Add salt. You can do this in one of two ways: Add and stir into the mixture or add it after you top the mixture onto the bread. The first way is easier but not adding salt until the very end helps to keep the tomatoes fresher for longer.
Balsamic Glaze
- Heat a saucepan on medium and add balsamic vinegar.
- Add brown sugar. You can add more to taste by about 1 tablespoon at a time. I like mine on the sweeter side so I typically add more. Stir to combine.
- Stir occasionally and simmer until reduced and thick to where it coats the back of a spoon. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
Assembly
- Place prepared baguette slices on a tray or wooden cutting board.
- Spoon tomato mixture on top.
- Drizzle with glaze. This is truly what makes this the best bruschetta so do not skip it!
- Add some extra basil. You can chop, julienne, or tear it, depending on how fancy you want to get.
- Shave or shred parmesan cheese and top your bruschetta with it.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- If making ahead, prep tomatoes, garlic, and basil but keep separate until ready to prep.
- Eat within 1 day of making. After the tomato mixture is made, the tomatoes will go soft and produce a lot of liquid as a result of the salt drawing it out.
- This recipe is best when the tomatoes are fresh and firm and the mixture is at room temperature.
- Use a block of parmesan cheese and grate or shred it yourself. It’s so much better than the pre-shredded stuff from the grocery store!
