My favorite thing to eat in the entire world… Fresh tomato-basil bruschetta, hot out of the oven and ready for devouring. I cannot recommend enough that you make this!
To me, summertime smells like suntan oil and salty sea air, feels like dipping my feet into warm sand, and tastes like luscious tomato bruschetta with creamy mozzarella and fresh basil. Wrap all of those up into one long, lazy day, and you’ve just described my perfect summer afternoon! What are your favorite summer sensations?
Bruschetta is the epitome of a perfect summer snack, appetizer, or (in my case) meal while my husband is away on a business trip! It is not only easy to make, but absolutely delicious and gorgeously colorful. Anyone you serve it to (even if it’s just yourself) will be so impressed and so ready to dig in!
These little red and yellow gems of juicy sweetness were given to me by my neighbor, Brien, one of our first friends here in Austin! We have a pretty good deal going, I’d say… He tosses handfuls of tomatoes to me over the fence and I pass back a plate piled with tasty goodness!
My own tomato plants are trucking right along, but not producing fruit just yet. I’m so looking forward to the day I can pluck them right off the plant and mix them into a delicious salad or sauce!
On slices of my soft, crisp No-Knead Artisan Crusty Bread slathered with olive oil, this cheesy bruschetta is just heaven in your mouth. The salty mozzarella and sweet, juicy tomatoes tossed with minced garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar really make for one mouthwatering snack!
Serve up big, honkin’ slices if you’re just enjoying these with a few friends, or slice ‘em in half to bring to a party. Or, you know, TRY to bring to a party. Lack of self control is why we can’t bring bruschetta to parties. When tomatoes, basil and mozzarella are in the mix, well… let’s just say I don’t want there to be any fights over who gets the last piece!
Hint: It’s me.
You can also serve this on small baguette slices to really stretch it out for a crowd, but please go for the grape or cherry tomatoes instead of larger ones. The smaller, the sweeter!
The emphasis is all on fresh, quality ingredients in this recipe, so use the best of everything you can find. Have a good olive oil buried in the back of your cabinet? Whip ‘er out! Saving a hunk of super-soft mozzarella for just the right recipe? Here’s your chance! Top off a big tray of these beautiful bruschetta with fresh basil and dig in while they’re hot. Melt. in. your. mouth.
Warm Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 8 slices crusty Italian bread, I used my No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread recipe*
- 16 oz. 2 cups fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, halved*
- 1 large or 2 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin (I recommend Galbani Fresh Mozzarella)
- 1/4 cup packed basil leaves, chopped
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice bread into thin (about 1/2-inch) slices and place on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of each slice generously with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Maintain oven temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar together until evenly coated.
- Once bread slices are warmed, top each with sliced mozzarella and tomatoes. Return bread to the oven for 6-8 minutes to warm and soften tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Remove from oven and drizzle each slice with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped basil, salt and pepper. Serve warm.
- Enjoy!
Ahhh I still need to make your bread, and when I do, I have to make this bruschetta too! What a gorgeous color!
Amazing! Homemade bread and fresh ingredients? YES! I can’t wait to make this – bruschetta is one of my favorite things to eat all year long!
This bruschetta looks absolutely brilliant my friend :D
Delicious job – who needs restaurants!
Cheers
CCU
These are just beautiful! What a generous neighbour you have :)
Oh, girl! This looks sooooo good! Yes, to everything you mentioned as to summer sensations. Add to that, dining al fresco with this situation on pasta or dining late in the evening with hubby and enjoying the soft breezes as well as the twinkle of little white lights on the deck with a glass of our favorite wine. LOVE! Meanwhile, I need to convert your bread recipe to gluten free. Can’t wait to see your own garden tomatoes!
OMG this bruschetta IS the perfect summer snack. and looks like perfect deliciousnessss
how gorgeous! I could eat every one of these :)
Bruschetta is one of those things that I could eat as a meal all by itself, over and over and over again!
I could probably devour a whole meal of just these bruschetta slices! Tomato, basil and mozzarella are what summer tastes like to me as well.
I think I could live on bruschetta for the rest of my life. Yours is SO gorgeous, Georgia! I completely agree that this is the taste of summertime!! This, plus a margarita (obviously).
These are so gorgeous and sound just amazing! I love the vibrant, beautiful color!
I’m normally not a tomato girl, but there’s something about this [perhaps the melted cheese] is making me so hungry!
Oh yes, this looks so fantastic and bruschetta is certainly one of my faves!
This really screams SUMMER!
This looks incredible! There really is nothing better than out-of-the-over bruschetta!
I could live on this…no kidding. And, that bread, come on!
Best use of juicy tomatoes in summer. Yummy!
Holy cow, this looks so beautiful! The colors are amazing, and that bread looks so yummy! What a great summer snack! :)
Looks beautiful with the combination of yellow and red tomatoes.
This is absolutely gorgeous, Georgia. Great flavors! So so great to meet you this weekend!
This is a great idea for bruschetta! I make it all the time, but never your way before. Love the colors :)
Beauties! Love the bright colors in your photos ;-) If I had to choose one food to live on-you guessed it -tomatoes and basil- love Summer;-) Thanks for sharing your recipe-pinned!
Georgia, your pictures are GORGEOUS! Now I know your secret–that blazing Texas sun is totally your BFF for these stunning shots! :) I want to dive headfirst into that basket of tomatoes and never come out. I LOVE them!
Beautiful post and photos of one of my go-to favorites! Very nicely done, this bruschetta looks amazing!
Whoa, lady – these photos are stunning! And I LOVE bruschetta in any form, but this particular version is just siiiiiinging to me.
Stunning! This is so my kind of bread and cheese! Holy yum and how darn pretty!
This looks like a REALLY delicious recipe, I like all of the tomatoes on it, you weren’t shy with them at all, yum yum!
these are absolutely stunning! i love the vibrant colors of the tomatoes and basil. this is a great snack and appetizer!
SO gorgeous, Georgia! Those little tomato gems are calling my name!
I need to find myself a tomato producing neighbor, those look beautiful!
looks heavenly… love bruschetta… i typically add mozzarella to mine, but I don’t bake it. oooh.. it’s probably so cheesy and delish. :)
Your photos are just amazing. Those cherry tomatoes look like they’re ready to pop right out of my computer screen! This looks so delicious. I just love all of these ingredients.
I’m totally jealous right now. I want/need this. And good heavens, could you stop being amazing at photography!!
This looks like the best bruschetta ever, I could live off of it all summer long!
Beautiful photos! I love bruschetta!
This is perfect for the summertime, Georgia! All that incredible mozzarella too _ I would park myself next to the tray of these at any get togther. ;)
I’m so in love with how vibrant and bright your photos are, Georgia! You do some amazing work! And is it weird that I love your cookie sheet? I use parchment paper so often that mine don’t usually get so “loved” looking. I need to fix that because it’s so pretty!
Really enjoyed meeting you in Austin! :)
Guess what I want for lunch now. It looks stunning and delicious. Great photos!
Love the colors of this bruschetta!!!
Beautiful pictures you have here! I’ll be trying this when tomato harvest comes around, can’t wait!
I have seriously made dinner out of bruchetta before. Once or twice… ;)
HOLY Drooooooooool! I seriously love bruschetta, and this… This is just over the top amazing!
Oh, yeah…this could be both my lunch and dinner! LOVE fresh mozz with tomatoes and basil!
This is gorgeous! I so want one right now!
Your photos are so beautiful, I can’t stop looking at them! And that’s just making me even hungrier. :)
this looks so delicious and those colors look so summery and fresh. And of course having an amazing bread for those juicy tomatoes is all the better.
Simple yet looks so fantastic and tastes incredible; a perfect starter!
My mother’s favorite dinner is bruchetta, last week after receiving some bad news about her health I asked what she wanted for dinner knowing full well bruchetta would be her response. Well, being the foodie that I am I just couldn’t bear the idea of another helping of my jarred pesto, canned tomato version. So I began searching the interweb for a new fresher recipe. The second I saw this gorgeous meal I had to attempt it. Mother and I were so thrilled that I made it again last night!!! What is so fun about this recipe is it looks as pretty on your plate as it does on the blog. Mom and I both decided that this is our favorite and I won’t be attempting the other version again. They don’t even compare. I HIGHLY suggest this. And thank you Georgia for sharing!!!
Oh my god your photos are GORGEOUS. Seriously, I want to get that bruschetta in my face right now. If only cherry tomatoes weren’t so expensive! You’re lucky to have an awesome tomato-growing neighbor :) And ahh, Austin! Love that city. As much as I’ve grown to like Houston, Austin is just the best city I’ve been to in Texas :)
Your pictures are stunning. You’re a good photographer and keeep these yummy recipes coming :)