This bruschetta with mozzarella is the perfect appetizer, snack, or light meal for summer. Toasted bread is topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar to create a simple, but tasty dish.
Jump to:
This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about it in the privacy policy.
If you're looking for the perfect recipe to use up seasonal, ripe tomatoes and basil, then this bruschetta recipe is it. Italian bruschetta with mozzarella really puts the tomatoes in the spotlight, and although the tomato toast might seem simple, it tastes absolutely amazing.
I serve my mozzarella bruschetta as an appetizer or starter before a summer BBQ, but you can also serve this as a light meal, as part of a summer buffet, or at a garden party.
Why you'll love it
- A really easy appetizer
- Prepare the toppings and bread slices in advance to save time
- A great way to use up seasonal produce and stale bread
- Healthy, refreshing, and flavorful
Ingredients
Baguette: You can really make bruschetta with any bread, but a leftover, stale baguette is the traditional ingredient. If you don't have this to hand, you can use any sliced bread that you like.
Tomatoes: I use the highest quality vine tomatoes for this recipe. You can use tomatoes of any size, like Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or plum tomatoes. They taste even better if they come from a local farmer's market, or your own garden!
Basil: Fresh basil leaves add a lovely flavor to this dish, and cannot be substituted for dried herbs.
Mozzarella cheese: Fresh mozzarella makes the toast a little more filling, and adds a lovely flavor. Mozzarella and tomato is one of my favorite summer flavor combinations!
Balsamic vinegar: This ingredient is optional, but adds a lovely kick of flavor. You can also use a balsamic reduction or balsamic glaze if you have that available.
Garlic: Completely optional, but garlic complements the flavors in this dish incredibly well.
Olive oil: I like to toast the bread in flavorful extra virgin olive oil, but you can also use canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil instead.
Salt, pepper: A little seasoning goes a long way!
How to make bruschetta mozzarella
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Prepare the ingredients! Slice a stale, day-old baguette into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices. Finely dice the tomatoes. Mince or grate the garlic, and combine it with olive oil.
Two: Heat up a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, and add the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook for about a minute while stirring, until the garlic is cooked through. Transfer the garlic and half of the oil to a small bowl, leaving the remaining olive oil in the skillet.
Three: Add the baguette slices to the frying pan, and toast these for about a minute on both sides, or until golden. Depending on the size of your frying pan, you might be able to toast 2-4 slices at a time.
Four: Add the diced tomatoes to the bowl with the garlic. Then, add salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Five: Assemble the bruschettas. Top each slice of toast with the tomato mixture, diced mozzarella cheese, finely sliced fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Serve the bruschettas immediately after assembling.
Top tips
- If you're preparing a big batch, you can also toast the bread on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 F or 200 C for a couple of minutes, until they are golden brown. This saves time compared to toasting everything in a small frying pan.
- If you don't have baguette slices, you can use any sliced white bread, for example, sandwich bread, or ciabattas.
- For your dairy intolerant and vegan guests, you can remove the mozzarella and make traditional tomato bruschetta instead.
- Tomato quality actually makes a big difference in this recipe. Use perfectly ripe, flavorful, in-season tomatoes for the best results.
Serving suggestions
Bruschettas are the perfect healthy, easy appetizer or starter. It's a great snack to serve when guests arrive at a dinner party, or you can add it to a buffet or picnic table.
I love to serve this when a Mediterranean or Italian meal, paired with for example Roasted Tomato Pasta or Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken as the entree.
You can also enjoy bruschetta as a light meal for breakfast or lunch. It's perfect for those hot summer days when you don't really feel like cooking.
Variations
Other toppings: You can change up the toppings however you like. Try adding diced olives, red onion, or cucumbers for a fun variation.
Gluten free: If you want to make this dish gluten free, you can simply use gluten free bread!
Other cheeses: Cheese bruschetta is always a huge success, no matter what cheese you use. Try substituting the mozzarella with burrata, feta cheese, crumbled blue cheese, or spreadable cream cheese instead.
Storage
Tomato mozzarella bruschetta tastes best when served immediately. I don't recommend refrigerating it, as the bread will soften quickly.
If you want to prepare the dish ahead of time, you can slice and toast the bread, and make the tomato mixture. Then, simply assemble the bruschetta immediately before you serve it.
Store any leftovers separately: the toasted bread can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days, and the tomato mixture can be refrigerated for the same amount of time.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional bruschetta does not have any cheese, but the addition of cheese is very popular. Small balls or cubes of mozzarella cheese taste amazing with the toasted baguette and tomatoes.
Bruschetta topping is usually made of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Other herbs, seasoning, spices, and lemon juice can also be used.
No, you don't have to cook mozzarella cheese. The cheese is perfectly safe to eat raw, straight from the fridge.
You might also like these recipes
- Healthy French Toast
- Smashed Egg on Toast
- Chilli Cheese Toast
- Smoked Salmon and Avocado Toast
- Caprese Chicken Sandwich
- Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Bruschetta with Mozzarella
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients! Slice a stale, day-old baguette into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices. Finely dice the tomatoes. Mince or grate the garlic, and combine it with olive oil.6 slices baguette, 2 roma tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Heat up a skillet or frying pan over medium heat, and add the garlic and olive oil. Cook for about a minute while stirring, until the garlic is cooked through. Transfer the garlic and half of the oil to a small bowl, leaving the remaining olive oil in the skillet.
- Add the sliced baguettes to the frying pan, and toast these for about a minute on both sides, or until golden. Depending on the size of your frying pan, you might be able to toast 2-4 slices at a time.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the bowl with the garlic. Then, add salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Assemble the bruschettas. Top each slice of toast with the tomato mixture, diced mozzarella cheese, finely sliced fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.3 basil leaves, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 mozzarella ball
Video
Notes
- Adjust the recipe depending on how many bruschettas you want to make.
- Make sure to use high-quality, flavorful tomatoes for this recipe. It really makes a difference!
- To make the dish ahead of time, you can prepare the tomato mixture and the toast, and store them separately. Assemble the bruschettas immediately before serving.
- Feel free to replace the mozzarella with any other cheese that you like, for example, feta cheese.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Leave a comment