This delicious Tomato and Pesto Bruschetta recipe makes the most of delicious summer tomatoes. The fresh pesto toasts which are topped with juicy tomatoes that have been tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, make the ultimate Italian-style snack. Just add a glass of prosecco for the perfect Apero!
If you've ever been to Italy, you'll know they take Apero (Aperetivo) very seriously. That hour when the sun starts to set, and everyone comes out for a walk and a chat with friends, then to sip wine, possibly with a snack, such as a bruschetta, piled high with juicy tomatoes.
Of course, the toppings for bruschetta vary, and you can choose to use store-bought pesto, but if you've made a batch of my Vegan Basil Pesto, then you're just a few steps away from the best Aperetivo imaginable!
Finally, make sure to pronounce Bruschetta properly! It is said: Brus-ke-ta. Ch in Italian is always a hard 'k' sound, not a soft 'ch' like cheese.
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🍅Ingredients
The ingredients for this bruschetta recipe are simple, but make sure to get the best possible for the most delicious outcome.
- Ciabbata or other crunchy bread that can be sliced. You want a crispy crust, with a bouncy but soft interior that can soak up but not collapse under all the tomato juices.
- Good Pesto: Make your own Vegan Pesto, or choose a supermarket 'fresh' pesto. You can use pesto from the jar, but it won't be quite as delicious.
- Ripe Juicy Tomatoes: because large tomatoes can be very variable where I live, I like to use cherry tomatoes, which are often more flavorful, however, if you can get good larger tomatoes, (or grow your own!) use those. The key is you want a juicy, sweet-tart tomato that hasn't been in the fridge.
- Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use your fancy stuff! The quality of the olive oil will add an extra dimension of flavour.
- Good Balsamic Vinegar: A little balsamic vinegar enhances the tomatoes natural sweetness.
- Flakey Sea Salt (or Kosher Salt): The little crystals of flakey sea salt are perfect when sprinkled over tomatoes.
- Optional: A clove of garlic to rub on the bread after toasting. If you're making this without the pesto this is extra delicious, but the pesto will have garlic in it, so is a nice-to-have rather than must.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
This Tomato and Pesto bruschetta only takes a few minutes to make!
1. Thickly slice the bread you have chosen, and toast lightly on both sides.
2. While the bread is toasting, chop the tomatoes into 1cm pieces. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and mix.
3. Rub a cut clove of garlic over one side of the toast (optional) then spread thickly with pesto.
4. Top the pesto toasts with the tomato mixture. Garnish with a few basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately.
Hint: Don't store your eating tomatoes in the fridge! This 'kills' their tomato flavor and makes them wooly and not so delicious.
🌶Substitutions & Variations
Bruschetta is a really popular appetizer, as it's so easy to mix and match to make your own!
- Other Fancy Breads- instead of ciabatta, choose little squares of foccacia or slices of sourdough.
- Gluten-Free- Choose gluten-free bread.
- Spicy- add a hint of spice by chopping a red chilli in with the tomatoes, or adding a sprinkle of chilli flakes or some hot sauce.
- Roasted Peppers: Use roasted peppers in place of the tomatoes. Choose jarred peppers, or make your own with this Air Fried Roasted Peppers recipe.
- Slow Roasted Tomatoes: If your tomatoes aren't very sweet and tasty, give them a boost by making Air Fryer Roasted Tomatoes or slow roasting them in the oven.
- Replace the pesto with Whipped Tofu Feta then top with the tomatoes.
- Canapes: Use bread that slices up smaller, such as a baguette to make bite-sized bruschetta for a party!
🔪Equipment
The good news is, that Bruschetta needs very little equipment. I do think that a good sharp knife makes all the difference when chopping tomatoes, however. There's nothing worse than the blade of the knife slipping off the skin and skidding around, squishing the tomato, rather than chopping it.
🥫Storage
Bruschetta really needs to be eaten soon after it's made. However, if you make extra tomatoes, just put them in an airtight container in the fridge and use up within a day or two.
❗Top tip
The key to this recipe is the best ingredients. Make sure to get really ripe tomatoes (or roast them if they're not so great), buy a good pesto, or better still, make your own. And of course choose a great quality olive oil!
❓FAQ
Bruschetta makes a really delicious appetizer or canape. It is also perfect for serving as a summer snack with wine as the sun goes down.
Choose tomatoes that are full-flavored and ripe. I like to choose cherry tomatoes as where I live they are more consistently flavorful, however any sweet-tart and juicy tomato will be delicious.
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📖 Recipe
Tomato Pesto Bruschetta
Equipment
- 1 Knife
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 8 slices good bread (such as ciabatta. )
- 4 tablespoon basil pesto
- 200 g (1 ⅓ cups) cherry tomatoes (or other juicy tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the bread and lightly toast.8 slices good bread
- Chop the tomatoes into 1cm chunks and place in a bowl, then sprinkle over the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, with half the salt. Mix Well.200 g cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 clove garlic
- Once the bread is toasted, optionally rub the cut clove of garlic over one side of each.1 clove garlic
- Spread the pesto over one side of each slice of toast.4 tablespoon basil pesto
- Top the toast with the chopped tomatoes.
- To serve, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top, and garnish with a little flakey salt and a basil leag.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
🌶Substitutions & Variations
Bruschetta is a really popular appetizer, as it's so easy to mix and match to make your own!- Other Fancy Breads- instead of ciabatta, choose little squares of foccacia or slices of sourdough.
- Gluten-Free- Choose gluten-free bread.
- Spicy- add a hint of spice by chopping a red chilli in with the tomatoes, or adding a sprinkle of chilli flakes or some hot sauce.
- Roasted Peppers: Use roasted peppers in place of the tomatoes. Choose jarred peppers, or make your own with this Air Fried Roasted Peppers recipe.
- Slow Roasted Tomatoes: If your tomatoes aren't very sweet and tasty, give them a boost by making Air Fryer Roasted Tomatoes or slow roasting them in the oven.
- Replace the pesto with Whipped Tofu Feta then top with the tomatoes.
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