There's one reason I garden. Well, I should say, there's a reason above many others why I garden. And the reason lay right here:
Sweet morsels of angel deliciousness. How I look forward to you each year – succulent, sweet, juicy, bright. The flavor of summer. The juicy fruit of the Gods.
Once tomato season hits, you'll be hard pressed to find me cooking anything besides caprese salads and this delicious bruschetta recipe. Because… frankly… why try and beat perfect? There's no point. This is, quite literally, the best bruschetta recipe in the history of the entire world.
You don't even have to take my word for it. Make it. Taste it. Die.
The Best Bruschetta Recipe
You will need:
– 2 pounds fresh, garden tomatoes (the better the tomato the better the bruschetta… source some good ones!)
– 6 tablespoons olive oil (I buy mine every year in bulk from Chaffin Family Orchards)
– Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
– 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
– Sweet balsamic vinegar (here's the only brand I buy in bulk!)
– 1 clove garlic, peeled
– Fresh, crusty bread (I use Eat, Drink, & Be Merry Bread – recipe from From Scratch!)
1. Using a bread knife, gently chop the tomatoes into small pieces. I like to slice them all one way… and then gently slice them the opposite way so I end up with pretty squares. The point is not to obliterate the tomato into a mushy mess, but rather to keep the integrity of the tomato intact. It should, after chopping, still resemble a tomato. Hence the bread knife – it really helps to not just squish the tomato. Place the tomato pieces into a large bowl.
2. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil.
3. Give the tomatoes a small pinch of sea salt and a few good grindings of fresh black pepper. How much salt you need with vary based on your tomato variety, so don't overdo it! Start slow.
4. Add in that delicious basil… mmm…. smelling like summer, isn't it?! Stir to combine.
5. Meanwhile, place some thick bread slices under the broiler for a few minutes or into the toaster. Some people serve their bruschetta with soft bread. I am not one of those people. I think the soft tomatoes pair much better with a crunchy bread. It adds wonderful texture to the dish. So broil the bread, I say! Once the bread is nice and toasted, rub it geeeently with the garlic clove. This adds a nice hint of garlic to the dish without it being a punch of garlic in the face.
The flavor of garlic is gravely missed in this dish if you skip this step. So don't do that! Just gently rub the toasted bread with the garlic clove. Just do it I say!
6. Place the toasted garlic bread on a dish. Drizzle the bread with that oh-so-delicious-high-quality balsamic vinegar we've been talking about. (Note: this is my all time favorite balsamic vinegar! I buy it in bulk and use it straight as salad dressing and for a million other things. It's fantastic!).
7. Lastly, scoop a big ‘ol pile of bruschetta onto the toast… like so:
Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear.
If you want to add a bit more to the dish, lay a nice piece of homemade mozzarella onto the bread before the tomatoes. It simply doesn't get any better than these basic and classic flavors coming together in the most delicious way possible.
Happy bruschetta eating, my friends! I hope you enjoy!
For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.
The Best Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh garden tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
- Sweet balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- Fresh crusty bread
Instructions
- Using a bread knife, gently chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Place the tomato pieces into a large bowl.
- Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil.
- Give the tomatoes a small pinch of sea salt and a few good grindings of fresh black pepper. How much salt you need with vary based on your tomato variety, so donβt overdo it! Start slow.
- Add in that delicious basilβ¦ mmmβ¦. smelling like summer, isnβt it?! Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, place some thick bread slices under the broiler for a few minutes or into the toaster.
- Once the bread is nice and toasted, rub it gently with the garlic clove. This adds a nice hint of garlic to the dish without it being a punch of garlic in the face.
- Place the toasted garlic bread on a dish. Drizzle the bread with balsamic vinegar.
- Lastly, scoop a big βol pile of bruschetta onto the toast. Enjoy.
Looks so yummy. Thanks. How long does the olive oil last? I bought some from Chaffin and haven’t used it yet. π just trying to use up my old first.
It’ll last for a long while! Just keep it cool.
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
(P.S. in step 5 I think you mean garlic clove not glove π )
You are right – this is absolute perfect food in the summer. I have even put it on top of a piece of grilled chicken and it makes the most wonderful dinner.
Mmmmmmm, cant wait to try this! I have lots of tomatoes coming in from my garden right now, so I will definitely make this soon!
What kind of bread do you use for this? Is it homemade or can you find it in a store?
I use homemade – it’s my Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Bread from my cookbook From Scratch! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484076230?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1484076230&linkCode=xm2&tag=theellihome0d-20
Just had to laugh. At the end of your post, the ad that came up was for McDonalds. Oh the irony. π
Bah ha! Gotta love Google Ads π
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but soon. It has my mouth watering just reading it! My comment is on the Blue Willow. I have my mama’s and have always loved it. What a treat to see it used here and see the amazing colors in that picture! Beautiful!
Um, is that bread homemade? If so, please share the recipe because it looks really good. I love brushetta, but a lot of recipes I’ve tried have completely flopped. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out though! π
Margaret, it’s in my cookbook – From Scratch! π
I looked on Amazon for the balsamic vinegar. I don’t want to buy in bulk yet, is the single one they sell the same thing? It says organic and not grand reserve, so I wondered if there is a difference.
It’s not quite the same, but it’s still delicious! Azure Standard also carries it by the bottle.
Best recipe I have ever tried!!! Thanks so much!
My recipe is almost identical to yours (even the same Balsamic Vinegar from Azure Standard) but in addition I add a small bit of raw honey – I think the honey brings out the flavors of the tomatoes and basil…:)
Oh, this is PERFECT timing! My tomatoes and basil are just now getting ripe. Labor Day supper!!
The bread looks amazing. I have your cookbook, and can’t wait to try it. π
Thanks for posting this—I know you’re incredibly distracted right now with your new little man.
<3
YUMMMMMMMMM!!! You’re so right: nothing better than Bruschetta with all those fresh summer goodies. I ALWAYS include the fresh mozzarella. In my world (read: Italiana), you just don’t make bruschetta without the cheese. Also…if I’m feeling particularly frisky, I add some Greek olives. I can have this for my whole meal…not some puny appetizer! Thanks for sharing. Now…to conquer the homemade bread….
Cheers, Bella ~~~