How To Make Fresh & Easy Tomato Bruschetta at Home

Plump and perfectly ripe summer tomatoes are best served simply, allowing their naturally sweet flavor and impressive juiciness to shine. That’s why our favorite tomato preparations are also the simplest: tomato toast, caprese salad, and, of course, tomato bruschetta — the classic Italian appetizer that’s practically summer on a platter.

Homemade tomato bruschetta requires nothing more than a bit of chopping and quick assembly: the best tomatoes you can find are tossed with a simple mix of fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil, then piled onto garlicky toasted bread.

In fact, I’d argue that bruschetta, in all its sweet, crunchy, tangy glory, should be at the top of your summer tomato bucket list (and if you’ve been growing tomatoes and basil, you’re already halfway there). Here’s how to make the very best bruschetta at home.

Bruschetta, in its most basic form, is simply grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic and brushed with olive oil. Tomato bruschetta, consisting of marinated tomatoes heaped onto the slices of toast, has become the most popular variation in the United States. Here’s what you need to know as you’re shopping and prepping.

1. The tomatoes: Good tomato bruschetta starts with good tomatoes. When shopping for tomatoes, look for ones that are firm but heavy for their size, and smell them too — they should have a whiff of tomato aroma. Any variety will work for bruschetta, from beefsteak to plum to cherry, so choose the ones that look best at the market. No need to blanch and peel them, either.
2. The basil: Fresh basil is a must for bruschetta. Don’t worry about finely chopping it — a coarse chop or even torn leaves are fine.
3. The oil and vinegar: With so few ingredients, you’ll want to use the best extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar you have, since you’ll really taste them here.
4. The garlic: Instead of adding raw chopped garlic to the tomato mixture, which can taste too potent, the garlic is rubbed into the hot bread to infuse each slice with garlic flavor.
5. The bread: The goal here is a crunchy base for the tomatoes: you can grill your bread, toast it, or broil the bread to crisp it, which is what we’re doing here. One half of a standard-size baguette will yield 12 to 14 (3/4-inch) slices — the perfect amount for entertaining a small group of friends. If you’re serving a lot of guests, use the full baguette and make double the tomato mixture. In lieu of a baguette, you can also use a loaf of country bread.

For the most flavorful bruschetta, you’ll want to give the tomatoes time to marinate — so before you do anything else, toss them with the basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. At this point, if you’re prepping the bruschetta in advance, you can pop the mixture in the fridge and let them marinate overnight.

Next, you’ll toast the bread. Arrange a rack about 5 to 6 inches below the broiler — if it’s too close, you’ll run the risk of burning the bread. When the slices are golden-brown and crisp, you’ll rub them with a garlic clove and brush them with olive oil, which will keep them from getting soggy when you add the tomatoes.

Just before serving, spoon the marinated tomatoes over the garlicky, oiled bread. If the tomatoes have released a lot of juices, use a slotted spoon to keep the bread from getting soggy. The bruschetta can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a light summer dinner, served alongside a salad or protein.

Although tomatoes are the most popular bruschetta topping, there are endless ways to switch it up. Here are some of our favorites.

• Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
• Peach & Prosciutto Bruschetta
• Mushroom and Arugula Bruschetta
• Fava Bean and Radish Bruschetta
• Lemon-Thyme Bruschetta

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