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This Easy Classic Bruschetta Recipe is my go-to summer appetizer that's perfect for everything from casual weeknight dinners to summer parties on the patio.
I know summer 2020 has kind of confused us all. Is it like do we get to enjoy summer this year, or do we not and just hope the rest of the year is way less confusing? I mean, I know we aren't having big gatherings right now, well, at least not where we are since we haven't even made it to phase two here and the fourth of July is this weekend.
We've been trying to squeeze out every ounce of summer that we can, which is why I love making fresh bruschetta in the summer because it uses all the deliciously in-season tomatoes that summer has to offer. Plus, it has fresh basil, one of the few herbs I can seem to keep alive, lol. Pile it high on some fresh homemade grain-free French Bread, and it's a summer favorite for everyone!
Ingredients in Fresh Bruschetta
-
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic
- Roma Tomatoes
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Fresh Basil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese
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Tips and Tricks
Mince the garlic - This might sound silly to call a trick, but it is. The reason is that you don't large clumps of garlic just sitting in your bruschetta, so mincing it is critical. It also adds a more intense garlic flavor when you mice it, and you don't want to miss that in this dish. You can also use garlic powder if you prefer and have it on hand.
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese - I love using fresh Parmesan cheese for this recipe. I like to use my Microplane zester for this recipe to help get the Parmesan extra fine. Leave it out if you want to make this dairy-free.
Chiffonade the Basil- This just means to cut the basil into ribbons, and it's a lot easier than it sounds.
How to Chiffonade the Basil
This might sound fancy, but really all we are doing is making it easy to slice the fresh basil into thin ribbons. I promise it is not hard, but it adds that little bit of extra to fresh bruschetta. I mean, you are already going through the trouble of making this with all the fresh ingredients; you might as well do them justice.
- Wash and pat dry your fresh basil.
- Stack the basil leaves on top of each other, so they nest into each other.
- Roll the stack of basil leaves tightly like you would roll up cinnamon rolls.
- Hold the rolled-up basil leaves and make small slices across the roll of basil leaves like you would cut into cinnamon rolls.
- Continue slicing until you've cut the entire roll of basil leaves.
- That's it!
How to Make Bruschetta
- Saute the garlic and olive oil and let it cool.
- Dice the tomatoes.
- Combine remaining ingredients into a bowl.
- Toss and enjoy it over some toasted slices of your favorite gluten-free french bread. If you don't want it over bread, you can also serve it up with your favorite gluten-free crackers.
How long will bruschetta stay fresh?
If you want to make this ahead of time, I suggest prepping the ingredients and storing them separately. I find this does not last longer than about a day. I tend to make this the day I plan to serve it. Also, it's so good there are not likely to be many leftovers to store.
More Ways to Enjoy Fresh Bruschetta
Add some to the top of some grilled chicken with an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar for an easy bruschetta chicken.
More Small Bites
Easy Classic Bruschetta
Ingredients
- ¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 7-8 Roma Tomatoes diced
- ¼ C Parmesan Cheese fine shredded
- 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ C Fresh Basic
- Gluten Free Crusty Bread or crackers
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and saute just until it starts to turn golden (do NOT brown it). This should take about a minute.
- Pour this mixture into a medium-sized bowl and let it cool.
- Small dice the tomatoes and add them to the cooled oil mixture.
- Slice the basil (see note above) and add it along with the remaining ingredients into the tomato mixture.
- Toss the ingredients well and serve alongside your favorite gluten-free bread or crackers.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.