How to Make Tomato Bruschetta

Vegan bruschetta is a delicious appetizer or quick plant-based meal. This vegan bruschetta recipe shows you how to top slices of baguette with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil.

What Is Vegan Bruschetta?

Vegan bruschetta is an Italian antipasto that is free of meat and dairy (appetizer). Home cooks invented bruschetta to use up stale bread and highlight the flavors of their olive oil. In Italy, bruschetta refers to grilled bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, rather than the topping itself. Tomato and basil are popular toppings for bruschetta, as are beans and marinated artichokes.

When tomatoes are in season, bruschetta with tomato and basil (or tomato bruschetta) is a good dish to make outside of Italy. A simple, harmonious blend of juicy, sweet, diced tomatoes with torn basil leaves, grassy olive oil, and a subtle kick of garlicky heat could be featured in recipes. Olive tapenade, balsamic vinegar, and vegan pesto are all used in bruschetta recipes.

3 Tips for Making Vegan Bruschetta

To make an easy vegan bruschetta, follow these steps:

1. Increase the amount of vegetables. To add body and flavor to your bruschetta, combine grilled eggplant, red onion, and peppers. Another variation is to use whipped vegan ricotta cheese as the foundation for the vegetable topping. For a salty twist, try bruschetta with capers, kalamata olives, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and a touch of sugar.

2. Cut the bread on the bias. Toasted bread cut diagonally is much easier to eat than straight-cut slices of bread. Because vegan bruschetta is a handheld appetizer, biting into it rather than using a fork and knife is more common.

3. Use smaller tomato varieties. Larger tomato varieties contain more seeds and skin than smaller tomato varieties. Use grape or cherry tomatoes for a juicier, more varied bruschetta. Depending on their size, cut the tomatoes in half or quarters.

3 Ways to Serve Vegan Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a popular appetizer, but it can also be used as a main course. Consider the following vegan bruschetta serving options:

1. As an appetizer: As an appetizer, serve bruschetta on smaller pieces of bread so that you and your guests can eat it by hand.

2. As a main course: For a more substantial main course, spoon bruschetta toppings onto larger pieces of good-quality French bread, sourdough, or rustic Italian bread. To make this a filling entrée, add vegetables like grilled eggplant or cauliflower as toppings. You can also substitute vegan cheese.

3. As a side dish: For a well-rounded meal, serve bruschetta alongside a vegan main course.

Steps

1. Preheat a grill or oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil.

3. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add them to the bowl.

4. Season the ingredients with salt and pepper and stir gently to incorporate them. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set the ingredients aside and allow the tomato mixture to marinate at room temperature.

5. In the meantime, make the bread. Place the slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Toast the bread over a hot grill or in a preheated oven until it is crisp and golden brown on the outside but still slightly pliable, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Allow the bread to cool slightly before rubbing the remaining garlic clove over the surface of the toasted bread. Season the bread with salt and pepper.

6. Top the toasted baguette slices with the tomato and basil mixture.

7. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the bruschetta and sprinkle the tops with vegan Parmesan cheese (optional).