5 from 12 votes

How to Make Bruschetta

Name: Bruschetta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs ripe Roma tomatoes (seeds removed, finely diced, and gently patted dry (about 6-7 tomatoes)); ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (sliced into thin ribbons); ¼ cup finely diced white onion; 3 cloves garlic finely minced, + 1 additional clove, sliced in half; 1 Tablespoon olive oil (+ additional for brushing bread); Sea salt (to taste); 1 French or Italian baguette

By Sam MerrittPublished Aug 09, 2022

Jump to Recipe ▼

14 Comments

Servings: 12 slices

1 hr 15 mins

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.

My Bruschetta recipe combines toasted bread slices with roma tomatoes marinated in fresh basil and garlic. It’s an incredibly simple and refreshing Italian appetizer made with summer produce! Recipe includes a how-to video!

slices of bruschetta topped with chopped marinated tomatoes, basil, and garlic

An Impressive Italian Appetizer

Many Americans (including myself!) associate bruschetta with a chopped tomato mixture served on top of crusty bread; however, the term bruschetta actually refers to the bread itself! More specifically, toasted bread that’s been drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. Sounds delicious enough on its own, right?

While you can top your bruschetta with pretty much anything, today we’re sticking with the classic topping us Americans can’t get enough of: fresh tomatoes marinated with olive oil, garlic, onions, and basil. It’s a light and refreshing combination that makes a great appetizer for any meal, but especially Italian dishes like rigatoni or lasagna.

What you’ll love about my bruschetta recipe:

Uses summer produce straight from the garden.
Perfect for serving at a dinner party.
Feels fancy, but is actually very easy.
Requires only a handful of ingredients.

What You Need

overhead view of ingredients in a bowl before mixing, including chopped tomatoes, onion, basil, and garlic

Bruschetta is one of those recipes that uses very few ingredients, which means each one should be as high quality as possible for best results. Besides tomatoes and onion, you’ll need:

Toasted bread. I recommend using a French or Italian baguette. I always slice mine on a slight bias for a professional look.
Olive oil. A high-quality extra virgin oil will give you the best flavor, so use that if you have it.
Garlic. Once your bread has toasted, you will slice a clove of garlic in half lengthwise and rub the cut-side over the surface of each slice of bread. This is a traditional Italian technique for bruschetta that imparts a fantastic garlic flavor onto each slice of toast. Don’t skip this step!
Fresh basil. Is there a better pairing then fresh basil and tomatoes?! I think not! You’ll need to chiffonade your basil to get it into thin ribbons; to do this, simply layer some freshly washed and dried basil leaves on top of each other in a stack. Starting with the long edge, roll the stack of leaves up into a log, then slice on the short end. You’ll be left with perfect ribbons of basil!

SAM’S TIP: Many bruschetta recipes also use parmesan cheese, but I leave this out of my recipe. I prefer to let the fresh flavors of the vegetables and herbs shine, and I find that the cheese tends to hinder that.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Bruschetta

chopped tomato, garlic, and basil topping for toasted bread

Combine the tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, olive oil, and sea salt. Let this mixture sit for at least an hour.
Slice your bread and brush it with olive oil.
Bake your bread for 5-8 minutes, then rub each slice with garlic.
Top with the marinated tomatoes and enjoy!

SAM’S TIP: I usually like to take my bruschetta a step further with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, which adds a great flavor and reminds me of caprese salad (minus the mozzarella). This is optional (my mom prefers hers without balsamic!), but if you have some handy, it’s worth trying it on a slice or two!

slices of bruschetta topped with chopped marinated tomatoes, basil, and garlic with a balsamic drizzle

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of tomatoes do you use for bruschetta?

Fresh, sun-ripened and in-season tomatoes are pretty much the only tomatoes I’ll recommend for bruschetta. If you can get them straight from your own garden, that’s even better! I like to use seeded and diced roma tomatoes, but heirloom tomatoes or another hearty, flavorful tomato will work equally well.

Should bruschetta be served hot or cold?

This is really a matter of preference and situation. Bruschetta tastes best if enjoyed with an hour or so of marinating at room temperature. If you cannot eat it within that time frame, then you’ll have to store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. Unfortunately, the fridge can tend to weaken the flavor; however, some people actually prefer the tomato topping to be cold.

What’s the difference between salsa and bruschetta?

Both are chopped tomato appetizers, but the flavors and uses are certainly different. First and foremost, homemade salsa can taste great with canned tomatoes, while I recommend using only fresh, in-season tomatoes for bruschetta. Second, salsa is typically blended to be less chunky for easy scooping or pouring. And finally, salsa tends to have lime juice in addition to other Mexican ingredients and seasonings, like jalapeños and cumin, while bruschetta relies on just a few fresh Italian herbs and vegetables for flavor.

toasted slices of french baguette topped with chopped marinated tomatoes, basil, and garlic

Crunchy, fresh, savory, and bright–what’s not to love about bruschetta?

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

5 from 12 votes

Bruschetta

How to make an easy, perfect Bruschetta recipe!

Prep: 10

Cook: 5

Resting Time: 1

Total: 1 15

Servings: slices

Save Recipe Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ lbs (680 g) ripe Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, finely diced, and gently patted dry (about 6-7 tomatoes)
▢ ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons
▢ ¼ cup finely diced white onion
▢ 3 cloves garlic finely minced, + 1 additional clove, sliced in half
▢ 1 Tablespoon olive oil , + additional for brushing bread
▢ Sea salt, to taste
▢ 1 French or Italian baguette

Instructions

To prepare Bruschetta, combine diced tomatoes, chopped basil, diced onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil and sea salt. Stir well and allow to rest for at least an hour for flavor to fully develop (refrigerate if you will not be eating within 2 hours).
1 ½ lbs (680 g) ripe Roma tomatoes, ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup finely diced white onion, 3 cloves garlic finely minced, + 1 additional clove, sliced in half, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, Sea salt
Once ready to serve, prepare your Bruschetta toast by first preheating your oven to 415F (215C).
Slice baguette on an angle into ½" thick slices. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet
1 French or Italian baguette
Brush each slice of bread with olive oil, bake 5-8 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted.
Once bread has finished baking, rub the top of each slice with the sliced half of your garlic clove.
Give your tomato mixture a good stir and then top warm bread with bruschetta topping mixture and serve.

Notes

Bruschetta will keep several days in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container.

If you would like to drizzle a balsamic glaze on your Bruschetta you can usually find pre-made glaze in the grocery store (usually in the salad dressing aisle) or you can make your own by cooking 3/4 cup of quality balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the vinegar is reduced in volume by at least half and has thickened. Be warned that the smell is very potent!