This cherry tomato bruschetta isn’t just any bruschetta. It’s a bright, juicy, flavor-packed explosion that tastes like summer.
Picture this: the ripest cherry tomatoes, so sweet they’re practically candy, mingling with garlic, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Piled high on crunchy, golden toast, it’s the kind of simple, satisfying dish that makes you wonder why you’d ever eat anything else. It’s unfussy, it’s bold, and it’s exactly what you want to be eating right now.
Table Of Contents
How to Pronounce Bruschetta
Forget what you've heard it being pronounced in "Italian" restaurants. Say it like an Italian!
The Rule: The "ch" in Italian is pronounced like a "k".
So in "bruschetta" the correct pronunciation emphasizes the hard "k" sound and is pronounced as "broo-SKEH-tah."
Plural form for bruschetta is bruschettE.
Try it also with "Pistacchio" - pronounced as "pee-STAH-kyoh" and "Gnocchi" pronounced as "NYOH-kee."
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread - a base key ingredient for cherry tomato bruschetta and for any kind of bruschetta for that matter.
- Fresh rustic country loaf like Pugliese bread with fine or medium uniformed crumb is the best. French baguette is another great alternative since it fit the characteristics above.
- Friselle - Italian twice baked bread from Apuglia can be topped with this same cherry tomato topping. They last in the pantry for a very long time. Try them as well.
- Do not use ciabatta bread or any other open crumb bread. It is amazing but it's not suitable for bruschetta.
- Cherry Tomatoes - the "not so secret" ingredient in the recipe. Get farm-grown tomatoes that are currently in season. They should be ripe and sweet, preferably mixed colors but that's optional.
- Fresh Basil - you'll only need one 6-inch sprig to make bruschetta for four. But sure it's not brown or wilted.
- Garlic - we'll use it for rubbing the bread. You can totally skip it. Trust me, garlic is NOT the key ingredient, in fact if you over-do it your bruschetta will taste pretty ordinary.
How To Make - Step By Step With Pictures
- Cut bread into ½ inch (1.5 cm) slices. Toast in medium, medium-low heat until just slightly charred.
- Rub each piece of bread with a garlic clove. I like to go just around the edges for a subtle garlic flavor or skip completely.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in small cubes. This type of cut helps remove excess liquid that will make bruschetta soggy.
- Place tomatoes in a sieve over a large bowl, add a few pinches of salt. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add drained cherry tomatoes to a clean bow. Tear basil leaves into small pieces using your fingers for extra aroma and flavor.
- Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Assemble on top of the toasted bread topping with an extra pinch of salt and more extra virgin olive oil.
No fresh basil? No Problem! If you don't have fresh basil, use Sicilian dried oregano. I always have it in the pantry and bruschetta is as delicious with it as with basil, if not better 😜
Top Tips
- Drain tomato liquid. Excess liquid will make bruschetta soggy, especially if you're not going to eat it within the next 20 minutes.
- Don't throw the liquid. Save it and make a simple bread and tomato salad adding a few extra tomatoes, dried oregano, oil and red onion if you prefer. It's divine!
- Infuse olive oil. The day before you plan making bruschetta, in a cup add extra virgin olive oil and a few garlic cloves cut in half (you can even add hot pepper!). Let infuse. Use it on bruschetta instead of regular olive oil. It will give a very subtle, almost undetectable garlic scent and it's perfect to serve even on formal parties where strong garlic flavor is not favored.
Make Ahead
Cherry tomato bruschetta can be made 30 minutes in advance. But I highly recommend assemble it before serving or even let your guests assemble it themselves. Having said that you can easily prepare the topping and toast the bread a few hours beforehand.
More Easy Appetizers
Looking for more easy and delicious recipes fore summer? Here are my favorites:
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Full Recipe
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 8 pieces country bread
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes , about 280 grams
- 1 sprig fresh basil , more for garnishing (optional)
- Garlic clove
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut bread into ½ inch (1.5 cm) slices. Toast in medium, medium-low heat until just slightly charred.
- Rub each piece of bread with a garlic clove. I like to go just around the edges for a subtle garlic flavor or skip completely.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in small cubes. This type of cut helps remove excess liquid that will make bruschetta soggy.
- Place tomatoes in a sieve over a large bowl, add a few pinches of salt. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add drained cherry tomatoes to a clean bow. Tear basil leaves into small pieces using your fingers for extra aroma and flavor.
- Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Assemble on top of the toasted bread topping with an extra pinch of salt and more extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
B j bouck says
Sounds good, I will certainly try it, thank you