Classic Bruschetta
With juicy fresh tomatoes and an irresistible sweet-and-tangy balsamic glaze, this classic bruschetta recipe is always a crowd-pleasing appetiser!
When you’re entertaining, the best recipes are the kind that wow your guests, while being incredibly easy to make. This tomato bruschetta recipe definitely qualifies—it comes together in just 15 minutes and the combination of ripe tomatoes, syrupy balsamic glaze, and crusty bread makes it impossible to eat just one!
Why You’ll Love This Classic Bruschetta Recipe
- Simple flavours shine. To make the base of this recipe, all you need are excellent ingredients: fresh tomatoes, delicious bread, good olive oil, and some garlic. Then, the balsamic glaze brings it all together!
- Easy to make—and easy to make ahead. You can prep the tomato portion of this bruschetta recipe ahead of time, but even if you don’t it still only takes 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Versatile. Bruschetta is a classic party snack, but it doesn’t have to be limited to that! Sometimes I’ll make bruschetta for a light lunch or dinner, too.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Tomato Bruschetta:
- Tomatoes – Bruschetta is a great opportunity to use some of those beautiful heirloom tomatoes you see at the farmers’ market. Any variety will work as long as it’s ripe and juicy!
- Olive oil – Use a good, fruity extra-virgin olive oil if you have one.
- Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Bread – I like to use my Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread, but Olive Bread would be fantastic too.
- Garlic
Balsamic Glaze:
- Balsamic vinegar – You’ll be cooking the vinegar down into a glaze, so you don’t need to start with an expensive syrupy vinegar.
- Sugar
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- Herbs – Basil is the classic herb used with bruschetta. However, so many herbs pair well with tomatoes that it’s hard to go wrong.
How to Make Classic Bruschetta
- Make the topping. Toss the diced tomatoes with the oil, salt, and pepper.
- Toast the bread. Slice focaccia and toast for about 3 minutes. Rub the cut sides of the garlic over the top of the bread to infuse it with garlicky flavour.
- Make the glaze. Add all of the ingredients into a heavy pan and bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Assemble. Spoon the bruschetta topping over the bread and drizzle the glaze on top. Add the herbs and serve.
Tips for Success
- Make a bruschetta bar for assemble-your-own. If you anticipate that your platter of bruschetta will be sitting out for a bit, you might want to have your guests make their own bruschetta to keep the bread from getting soggy. In that case, toast the bread, rub it with garlic, and set it on a tray; place the tomato mixture in a bowl and drizzle the glaze over the top.
- Don’t make the tomato topping too far in advance. Tomatoes have a tendency to get mealy in the fridge, so I don’t recommend making the tomato topping for this classic bruschetta recipe more than half a day ahead of time.
- Get the right level of toasty-ness for the focaccia. Toasting is important because it helps the bread stand up to the juicy tomatoes. But if the focaccia is too hard, it can be difficult to eat. You want to strike a good balance between soft and crispy.
Variations
- Caprese bruschetta. Layer slices of fresh vegan mozzarella (I like the soft kind made with cashews!) under the tomatoes.
- Tomato peach bruschetta. Swap half the tomatoes with peaches. The two go together quite well!
- Roasted tomato bruschetta. Instead of raw tomatoes, use roasted tomatoes for some caramelised flavour and a more jammy texture.
How to Store
Keep the focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate the tomato topping for 2 to 3 days and the balsamic glaze for up to a month.
Enjoy friends! If you make this classic bruschetta recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Classic Bruschetta
Ingredients
Bruschetta:
- 3 firm medium tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 vegan focaccia loaf
- 1 clove of garlic, cut in half
Balsamic Glaze:
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- herbs, for garnish
Instructions
Bruschetta
- Dice tomatoes into small cubes, and place in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat, and set aside.
- Slice focaccia loaf into slices as a base for bruschetta. Toast the slices for about 3 minutes until toasted. Brush the fresh hot slices with garlic.
- Top with the tomato mixture, then balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.
Balsamic Glaze
- In a pot over medium high heat, heat all the ingredients and stir. Watch carefully – the glaze should begin to thicken after 5 minutes and you want it thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon, but not to thicken into a glob. It becomes overly thick very quickly, so watch carefully.
- Once glaze has thickened, remove from heat. Pour over the bruschetta. Top with herbs.
- The glaze can be stored in the refrigerator once it has cooled down for at least a month.
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I just came across this recipe! I actually made it yesterday. While it was good, my hubby and I felt that there was too much ground pepper in it when you consider there is a teaspoon in the tomato mixture, and a teaspoon in the glaze. It was a bit overpowering. Next time I will cut the total pepper at LEAST in half. I also added a clove of minced garlic to the tomato mixture and let it sit all day. I used chopped basil as my herb before serving. Very good! Thank you for this easy, delicious recipe!
Hi Deb,
Thank you so much! I agree – this is an old recipe and my pepper amounts are definitely out of whack. I’ve just adjusted it to reflect – thank you!!
Made for football game yesterday and they cleaned them up! Not only did it look fantastic the taste was incredible. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi Lisa,
I’m so happy to hear that!! You’re so welcome and thanks for your feedback!
I love the flavor combination on this bruschetta! Such an easy and delicious appetizer!
Thank you so much Bee. Thanks for your kind words!
So delicious and simple!
Thanks so much Jessica!
This was so delicious and so easy to make. There were no leftovers!!