• Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • About The Real Food Geek
    • About Real Food
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Dips, Sauces & Condiments
  • Healthy Living
    • Weight Loss Journey
    • Real Food Adventures
  • Get In Touch
The Real Food Geek
  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • About The Real Food Geek
    • About Real Food
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Dips, Sauces & Condiments
  • Healthy Living
    • Weight Loss Journey
    • Real Food Adventures
  • Get In Touch
Lunch

Tomato Bruschetta

by Cheryl 2 July 2020
written by Cheryl
JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE
Tomato bruschetta on a platter
Tomato bruschetta randomly placed on a grey surface
A single tomato bruschetta drizzled with balsamic glaze on a grey background
A single tomato bruschetta drizzled with balsamic glaze on a grey background
A single tomato bruschetta drizzled with balsamic glaze on a grey background

Tomato Bruschetta is a summertime treat, ideal for a light lunch or a simple gathering appetiser. The combination of fresh ripened red tomatoes and aromatic basil is simply a match made in heaven.

Tomato bruschetta on a grey background

WHAT IS TOMATO BRUSCHETTA?

Bruschetta originates in Italy and has been around for centuries. Italians pronounce it “bru-sketta”, and describe it as grilled bread that has been rubbed with garlic and topped with extra virgin olive oil and salt.

Today, toppings come in all kinds of weird and unusual varieties. Still, the classic and my absolute favourite is Bruschetta with tomatoes, or ‘Bruschetta con Pomodoro’ and this my friends, is where the inspiration for this recipe was born.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO MAKE TOMATO BRUSCHETTA?

During the summer when tomatoes are at their absolute best is the time to make this recipe. As it’s currently July in the UK, the best time is most certainly NOW!

Bruschetta is an absolute crowd-pleaser and is always welcomed when it makes an appearance as an appetiser at a summer BBQ.

But frankly, I’m not always up for sharing! You’ll often find me tucking into Bruschetta when I want a light lunch or an easy weeknight dinner. And, almost always, my face and fingers will be smothered in tomatoey, olive oily toppings. Sorry, not sorry!

row of tomato bruschetta on a marble platter

BRUSCHETTA INGREDIENTS

Bruschetta is really simple to make with the most basic ingredients. I can never quite believe that something so simple can taste quite so good.

Slice of brown crusty bread with a spread of pesto, piled up with chopped tomatoes, red onions and basil.

1. BREAD

The most ideal bread for a tomato bruschetta has a rough open crumb and a crunchy crust. The rough surface will encourage just the right amount of juice to be extracted from the garlic, the open crumb is perfect for capturing pools of olive oil, and the crunchy crust shouldn’t disintegrate under the weight of the tomato topping.

Bruschetta should always be toasted. The best way is to use a grill pan. A hot grill adds beautiful scorch marks that infuse the bread with a hint of smoky flavour. If you don’t have a grill pan, just pop the bread in a toaster or under the grill (broiler). You are looking for a texture that is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

As this is a real food blog where we want to avoid heavily processed ingredients, the bread I typically look for when making this recipe is a wholegrain sourdough or ciabatta.

2. TOMATO

I use a combination of mainly red vine-ripened tomatoes for their intense tomatoey flavour and a few cherry tomatoes for sweetness. Room temperature is crucial for maximum tomato flavour. The vine tomatoes are deseeded and diced to remove excess slimy seeds, and the cherry tomatoes are quartered, providing some variation in texture.

3. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Using your favourite extra virgin olive oil for this recipe is essential. It’s added in with the tomatoes to add a rich and fruity flavour to the topping that is a major contributing factor to the overall taste sensation that is Tomato Bruschetta.

4. GARLIC

Too much garlic in this dish can overwhelm the rest of the ingredients, so I stick with Italian tradition and rub the garlic over the warm toasted bread allowing it to melt down and penetrate into the bread. I find this to be enough.

5. RED ONION

Although it’s not a traditional ingredient in tomato bruschetta, I like to add finely diced red onion for a subtle crunch, and its sweet and mild flavour works really well in this dish.

6. BASIL & BASIL PESTO

The traditional recipe for a tomato bruschetta often incorporates fresh basil. This recipe does the same. However, I am also going to double up on that basil flavour by spreading a thick layer of my Homemade Super-Green Pesto over the bread. The idea of adding pesto has been inspired by a meal I had at a restaurant on No Man’s Fort, where the chef drizzled a delicious pesto sauce over our Tomato Bruschetta starter. For more on that, check out the post Eating Real Food on No Man’s Fort.

If you have the time to make your own pesto, it’s honestly worth the effort. But, if you just don’t have the time, before skipping the idea entirely, there are some real food options available like this Biona Organic Green Pesto. It’s worth having a couple of jars on hand for when a Tomato Bruschetta craving strikes.

7. THICK BALSAMIC GLAZE

Drizzling a thick balsamic glaze over Tomato Bruschetta is the finishing touch. No, it’s not essential. But yes, it IS necessary, if you know what I mean! It’s sweet and irresistible tanginess help to ensure tomato bruschetta so god darn moreish!

HOW DO YOU MAKE TOMATO BRUSCHETTA?

Tomato bruschetta ingredients

Gather and prepare your ingredients.

Bowl of tomato salsa

Put the chopped tomatoes and onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Gently combine the ingredients and season with salt and pepper and leave to one side to macerate.

Toasted wholemeal bread with garlic cloves

Meanwhile, slice the bread. Grill or toast until the bread is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. While it is still warm, rub garlic over the top side of bread and let it melt in.

Slice of brown crusty bread with a spread of pesto, piled up with chopped tomatoes, red onions and basil.

Spread Homemade Super-Green Pesto (or alternative) over the slices of bread. Then pile on the tomatoes as well as a generous helping of freshly torn basil.

Serve immediately and enjoy!


I’d love to know how your Tomato Bruschetta turns out. Please get in touch in the comments and let me know. I hope it becomes a summer go-to recipe for you too!

And, if you’ve got some leftover tomatoes and basil, why not try my Homemade Tomato Soup with Basil. Another light lunch where the tomato and basil are the superstars.

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

Close up view of tomato bruschetta on a platter

Tomato Bruschetta

Tomato Bruschetta is a summertime treat, ideal for a light lunch or a simple gathering appetiser. The combination of fresh ripened red tomatoes and aromatic basil is simply a match made in heaven.
5 from 1 vote
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Course Appetizer, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 Toasts
Calories 136 kcal

EQUIPMENT

  • Bread Knife & Sharp Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Bowl
  • Grill Pan or Toaster

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 600 g (1.5 lbs) Tomatoes On the vine and cherry varieties. Deseed and dice the vine tomatoes and slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters.
  • ½ Red Onion Chopped into a small dice
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
  • ½ tsp Sea Salt
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 12 Slices Wholegrain Rustic Loaf Sourdough or Ciabatta works well. Slice into 12, 1cm thick slices. If using a thin french loaf, you'll get 24 toasts.
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 12 Fresh Basil Leaves Washed and roughly torn or sliced into ribbons

Optional (But Recommended) Toppings**

  • 6-8 tbsp Homemade Super-Green Pesto Or alternative green pesto
  • 2 tbsp Thick Balsamic Vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Prepare your ingredients and get your equipment ready.
  • In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. Put to one side and prepare the toasts.
  • Grill the bread slices with a grill pan, or place in a toaster. You're looking for a crisp exterior and soft interior. On a hot grill pan, it will take about 3-4 minutes on each side – you are looking for those smoky grill marks. While the bread is still warm rub a clove of garlic over the surface of the bread. It will melt into it nicely.
  • Spread each piece of toast with the pesto (if using) and then pile on the tomato mixture. To serve, arrange the bruschetta on a plate or platter, scatter with torn pieces basil, drizzle with balsamic vinegar (if using). Serve immediately***.

NOTES

*If you choose NOT to spread Homemade Super-Green Pesto or an alternative Pesto onto the toast, then the Bruschetta would benefit from an extra tablespoon of extra virgin olive. Drizzle directly onto the toasts to infuse flavour into the bread. 
**The nutritional information does not include the optional serving ingredient Homemade Super-Green Pesto. If you choose to add this ingredient, the nutrition panel is on the recipe card on the Homemade Super-Green Pesto page. 
***Assemble the Bruschetta just before serving so that the bread doesn’t go too soggy. If you want to get ahead, you can make the tomato topping ahead of time. In fact, the tomato salsa topping gets better if you leave the flavours to mingle (or macerate) for a couple of hours before serving. Just ensure to discard excess juices. Otherwise, you’ll still end up with soggy bread.

NUTRITION

Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 174mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8g
Keyword easy appetizers, finger food, summer recipes
Have you tried this recipe? I’d love to see!Mention @therealfoodgeek on IG and tag #therealfoodgeek!


If you get the chance to give this Tomato Bruschetta a try, drop me a note in the comment section and provide a star rating. I’d love to know what you think!

For more real food recipe ideas, you can check out the recipe page. Or, come on over and say hi on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I look forward to seeing you there! 👋

You can also stay up to date with new posts and healthy real food recipes by subscribing to The Real Food Geek mailing list below.

Thank you so much for reading.


PIN FOR LATER!

A single tomato bruschetta drizzled with balsamic glaze on a grey background

SHARE...

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
previous post
Homemade Super-Green Pesto
next post
Easy Chicken Tikka with Mint Sauce

You may also like

Roasted Butternut & Carrot Soup with Tummy Soothing Spices

Ultimate Scrambled Eggs

Creamy Cauliflower Mash with Thyme

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Rate this recipe




Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. For more information, see our privacy policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hiya! I’m Cheryl

Hiya! I’m Cheryl

Welcome to The Real Food Geek

Join me as I attempt to abandon the bad eating habits of a lifetime in favour of a healthier lifestyle without sacrifice.

FOLLOW ALONG!

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest

POPULAR POSTS

  • 1

    Creamy Porridge Custard with Strawberry Rhubarb Coulis

  • 2

    Healthy Full English Breakfast

  • 3

    Homemade Burgers with Italian Herbs

  • 4

    Chicken Chasseur (Instant Pot Recipe)

  • 5

    Sweet Potato Jackets with Tuna

  • 6

    Slow Cooker Vegan Chilli

FEATURED CATEGORIES

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

DINNER

CATEGORIES

  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Dips, Sauces & Condiments
  • Healthy Living
    • Real Food Adventures
    • Weight Loss Journey

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

The Real Food Geek ©2020


Back To Top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.