For my first recipe post, I decided to go with this simple tomato, mozzarella and basil bruschetta with balsamic vinaigrette.
I know bruschetta has been around for ages, but I never bothered with it or ordered it from a restaurant before because well ummmm I don’t believe in paying $10 for a small piece of toast with cheese on top. Luckily for me, bruschetta was part of an appetizer course during a company happy hour and after I took my first bite, I finally know why it costs $10. They were the most delightful little bites.
I still refuse to pay $10 for them though.
I went home dreaming about them and when I woke up, I googled a ton of recipes for a tomato, mozzarella, and basil bruschetta. However, I didn’t find THE perfect recipe so just like most of my cooking, I merged a bunch of ingredients here and there and came up with my own recipe for it. It was delicious… and it’s super easy to make!
My husband (who doesn’t typically enjoy appetizer-type foods) loved it. My brother who hates any food that contains tomatoes or any green leaves (aka all vegetables) also loved it. Since then, I’ve been making these little bites for family dinners, watch parties, and just whenever the hell I feel like it.
These are great snacks for when you’re a bit hungry, but don’t want to ruin lunch or when you’re really hungry and want to eat 50 of something without feeling bad about yourself.
My favorite thing about this recipe (and cooking in general) is that you can totally adjust the taste to your preference. If you don’t like too much garlic, then remove a clove. If you don’t like too much balsamic, then reduce the amount, etc. If you don’t like tomatoes, then you probably shouldn’t make this recipe.
Here’s how to make it:
Serving: makes about 8-10 bruschetta, good for 2-3 people, double or triple it if you’re feeding more
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5-6 basil leaves
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for brushing baguette slices
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinaigrette
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- French baguette, cut into 3/4 inch slices
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
EQUIPMENT
- teeny tiny food processor (optional, you don’t need this if you can finely chop and dice the garlic & basil leaves by hand)
- knife
- baking sheet
- basting brush (I use a silicone one)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brush baguette slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Top each slice with mozzarella. Bake for 10 minutes to 15 minutes or until bread and cheese are slightly browning.
- While impatiently waiting for the baguette in the oven, mince garlic cloves in a food processor, about 30 seconds. Add in the basil leaves and process for about another 20 seconds, or until leaves are finely chopped. (If you don’t have a food processor, no prob, just do it by hand).
- Transfer the garlic and basil in a small bowl. Combine with 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Once the baguettes are done, remove from oven and top each slice with the tomato mixture.
- Serve immediately.
NOTES
- I love garlic so I use 3 of the bigger ones and if they’re tiny, I’ll use about 4, adjust to your own preference.
- In other recipes, I’ll substitute fresh garlic with the pre-minced garlic from jars, but NOT for this recipe. I prefer fresh garlic.
- The type of balsamic vinegar you use matters – don’t buy the cheapest one you see, but don’t get the most expensive one either. My fav one is Monari Federzoni Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.
- ALWAYS use FRESHLY cracked black pepper. It makes all the difference
- Sometimes, the tomatoes are too juicy and will make the mixture sit on too much liquid – drain it.
Sprinkled with Pepper 