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If you are a fan of Caprese salad, you’ll love this easy homemade Caprese Bruschetta. The simple combination of fresh tomatoes, rich olive oil, basil, and mozzarella on toasted slices of baguette is absolutely delicious.
Easy Caprese Bruschetta
This easy caprese bruschetta can be whipped up with no skill at all, but it’s bursting with delicious flavors everyone will love. It’s simple, yet elegant making it the perfect appetizer for any celebration or gathering.
Not only is this the perfect snack or appetizer, but it’s a great option for your vegetarian guests. Made with fresh tomatoes, cheese, and bread, your vegetarian guests will be in heaven. Pair it with an Italian meal or other delicious appetizers.
How To Make Caprese Bruschetta
For this deliciously easy appetizer, you’ll only need 6-main ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Tomatoes– Good tomatoes are the key to this recipe. I highly recommend making this when you have access to local, in season tomatoes. Heirloom varieties tend to have the most flavor but any kind will work.
- Fresh basil– Be sure to use fresh basil for this recipe. Basil adds a fresh earthy flavor to the bruschetta.
- Balsamic vinegar– Balsamic adds sweetness and acidity to the bruschetta. If you don’t have any, you can substitute with red wine vinegar.
- Olive oil– Olive oil helps toast the baguette and marinate the tomatoes. Use robust, full flavored olive oil for best results.
- Baguette– Cut your baguette ¼ inch thick. You could also use Italian or rustic sourdough bread if you choose.
- Mozzarella– Fresh mozzarella pairs deliciously with tomato and basil. Try to slice the mozzarella as thin as you can (about 1/8th inch) so it melts well.
- Garnish– Garnish your finished caprese bruschetta with flakey sea salt if you choose.
The hardest part of this recipe is the prep work! Once you have gathered all your ingredients, dice up your tomatoes, cut your basil into short, thin strips, and slice your mozzarella.
- Begin by preheating your broiler to high. Then, line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Gently combine your diced tomatoes, cut basil, balsamic vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large bowl. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, cut your baguette ¼ inch thick slices. Brush each piece with olive oil.
- Place the bead on your baking sheet and broil it for 3-minutes.
- Flip the baguette and brush the other side with olive oil. Add a piece of mozzarella to the top of each piece and broil it for another 3-minutes.
- Then, remove the baguette from the oven and top it with the marinated tomatoes.
- Garnish with flakey sea salt.
- Serve and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Caprese Bruschetta and FAQs:
- You don’t have to use foil or parchment paper if you don’t have any, but it does make it easier to clean up if you do.
- You want the baguette to be a toasty golden brown, but not burnt.
- Make sure the mozzarella is warm and melted before removing the baguette from the broiler.
- Don’t forget to remove the seeds and skin from your tomatoes. This provides a better texture for your bruschetta.
FAQs
You will only be baking the bread you are using to toast it and melt the cheese. For this recipe, you will use the broiler in your oven, and set it to high.
It will take you about 5-minutes of prep time, and 10 minutes of cooking time for this recipe. The caprese bruschettas should be ready to enjoy in just 15-minutes.
Only assemble what you plan on eating. The bread and the seasoned tomatoes will need to be stored separately since the tomatoes will eventually make the bread soggy. Store your leftover tomato mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. Do not leave the tomato mixture out of the refrigerator for longer than 2-hours.
Both! The tomato topping is going to be cold, but the bread you put it on along with the cheese should be warm.
Your caprese bruschetta could be bitter because of the tomato skins and seeds. Removing the skin and seeds from your tomatoes will improve the flavor and texture of your bruschetta topping. Additionally, seeds and skin add extra water which can make your bruschetta soggy.
What To Serve With Caprese Bruschetta
Caprese Bruschetta is the perfect appetizer to enjoy before a delicious Italian cuisine. You could also pair it as a side with my One Pot Italian Chicken and Vegetables, Easy Baked Italian Meatloaf, One Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, or my Easy Lobster Pasta.
For more delicious appetizers, click here.
Caprese Brushetta Recipe
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Caprese Bruschetta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh ripe tomatoes diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil juillened
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 12 slices baguette cut ¼” thick
- 12 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- Flakey sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler to high and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil (for easy clean up).
- In a large bowl, gently combine the tomatoes, basil, balsamic, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Brush each piece of baguette with olive oil and broil for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the baguette and brush the other side with olive oil. Add a piece of mozzarella to the top of each crostini and broil for another 3 minutes, or until the mozzarella is warm and melted.
- Remove the crostini from the oven and top with marinated tomatoes and a sprinkle of flakey salt. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Good tomatoes are the key to this recipe– I highly recommend making this when you have access to local, in season tomatoes. Heirloom varieties tend to have the most flavor but any kind will work.
- Basil adds a fresh earthy flavor to the bruschetta.
- Balsamic adds sweetness and acidity to the bruschetta— I recommend using a good quality balsamic in this recipe!
- Olive oil helps toast the crostini and marinate the tomatoes– I recommend a robust, full flavored olive oil.
- I’m making this recipe on a baguette but it can also be made on Italian or rustic sourdough bread.
- Fresh mozzarella pairs deliciously with tomato and basil– try to slice the mozzarella as thin as you can (about 1/8th inch) so it melts well.
