fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar or balsamic glazeto taste. Optional.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 390° F or turn on the top grill function of your oven.
Combine the diced tomatoes, torn basil leaves and minced garlic in a non-metal bowl. This tomato topping will sit for a while, and a metal bowl may affect the taste.
Drizzle the tomato topping with extra virgin olive oil, and if you want you can add fresh-squeezed lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, but this is optional. (Optional: Then let this sit covered for an hour or two to let the flavors combine.)
Thinly slice the bread and grill the bread slices on both sides until lightly browned, being careful not to let them burn.
Rub one side of each grilled piece of bread with a whole raw garlic clove (this step can be skipped if you don't want an overly garlic flavor), then arrange on a platter and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
You can then either top your bruschetta by adding a small spoonful of your tomato mixture using a slotted spoon and serving already assembled or you can serve the platter of bruschetta without the topping alongside a bowl of the topping and each person can add a spoonful to their own individual bruschetta.
If desired, for a unique twist, you can drizzle the bruschetta with balsamic glaze and top with a whole basil leaf.
Notes
If you are worried about your bruschetta being too garlicky, consider using roasted garlic instead of raw garlic as the taste is milder and sweeter or you can leave it out completely.
Bruschetta recipe variations
We love this quick and easy bruschetta recipe, and we also love how you can add some personalized touches. For example, if you love caprese salad, why not make a caprese bruschetta by adding diced mozzarella cheese in with the Roma tomatoes and basil? If you don't have basil, you can substitute with a large pinch of dried oregano that will give it so much flavor.Simple, delicious and endlessly variable, Italian bruschetta is often topped with things like salumi, cheese or even veggies. However the combination of tomato, garlic and basil as a topping is so common that in some stores you may see pre-made “bruschetta” (without the bread) for sale.