Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze

You can make Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze in 25 minutes! You'll love this bruschetta appetizer featuring broiled crostini topped with a delicious tomato salad and basil. Garlic powder provides subtle flavor, so there's no aftertaste!

"Bruschetta" has to be the most mispronounced Italian word. Would you believe it's actually pronounced "brew-SKET-tah?"

However you say it, you're going to love this Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze. It features the perfect balance of savory-sweet flavor, with no aftertaste from raw garlic or onions.

That's right, folks. I'm breaking with tradition and using garlic powder in the bruschetta topping, instead of rubbing the bread slices with raw garlic.

Hear me out.

I love garlic when it's cooked, but find the taste of raw garlic to be overwhelming. And I don't want to be near anyone who's just consumed it!

Garlic breath lingers for hours.

My family prefers my bruschetta recipe, where fragrant tomatoes and basil are the stars, subtle garlic flavor plays a background role and balsamic glaze provides the perfect accent!

This is one of my favorite appetizer recipes, and it happens to be vegan!

Recipe ingredients

Tomatoes: The best tomatoes for bruschetta are ripe, firm and not mealy. I always use bright red cocktail tomatoes, which are about the size of a golf ball.

These jewel-toned tomatoes look gorgeous, taste sweet and contain a relatively small amount of seeds. Keep in mind, you'll need to seed the fresh tomatoes before using them in this recipe.

You also could use cherry tomatoes.

Keep in mind, if you have big, juicy tomatoes from the garden, you can make spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes.

Garlic Powder: I've already explained why this is the way to go. But, if you prefer to skip it and make authentic bruschetta, you can rub raw garlic halves on the bread before broiling it. (Just practice social distancing from me after you eat it!)

Onion Powder: This rounds out the flavor of the tomato bruschetta without using raw onions, which can be overpowering. But, feel free to add chopped red onions if you prefer a stronger taste.

Baguette: I always use a long, French baguette for bruschetta, because the slices are the perfect size for appetizers. But, you could use ciabatta bread if you prefer.

To maintain freshness, you can freeze the loaf of bread if you won't be using it the day you buy it. Then, the morning of the day you'll be making bruschetta, let the bread defrost on the counter.

Balsamic Glaze: If you haven't tried syrupy, sweet balsamic glaze (affiliate link) you don't know what you've been missing. It's made from balsamic vinegar that's been cooked down to a thick liquid.

It's the crowning glory of this tomato bruschetta, and I wouldn't skip it.

You can make your own balsamic reduction if you prefer, but I just buy it. (The vinegar fumes given off during the reduction process are too strong for me.)

How to make tomato bruschetta

See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.

Make the topping

Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the core. Cut them in half again and scrape out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces.

Place the tomato pieces into a bowl with the seasonings and olive oil. Toss with a spoon to combine.

How to toast bread for bruschetta

Bruschetta comes from the Italian dialect "bruscare," which means "to roast over coals." It refers to bread that's been broiled, toasted or grilled.

We're using the broiler here, because it's a convenient way to crisp up the slices from an entire baguette all at once. Technically, these broiled, small slices of bread are called "crostini" meaning "little crusts" in Italian.

1. Slice the baguette diagonally into pieces that are about ½-inch thick. Place them on a sheet pan.
2. Broil the bread until it's golden brown on top. Flip over and broil the second side until golden brown.
3. Brush olive oil onto the bruschetta. A silicone basting brush (affiliate link) comes in handy.

Assemble it

Place some of the tomato mixture onto each slice of the broiled bread. Add ribbons of fresh basil and drizzle on balsamic glaze.

Recipe tips

• To prevent soggy bruschetta, remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
• The bruschetta topping tastes delicious as written, but you can add mozzarella for a Caprese version or even black olives.

How to serve it

It's best to serve the Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze within two hours after assembling it. It can stay at room temperature during that time.

For a beautiful bruschetta presentation, you can place the appetizer on a platter and drizzle on the balsamic glaze in an artistic pattern. (See photos.)

This bruschetta is the perfect prelude to a meal featuring Italian Chicken Cutlets, Easy Sausage and Peppers in the Oven or Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs and Butter!

Frequently asked questions

More appetizer recipes

• Parmesan Focaccia with Rosemary
• Italian Zucchini Fritters
• Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese
• Caponatina (Eggplant Caponata)
• Baked Parmesan Jalapeño Poppers
• 63 Italian Appetizer Recipes

Enjoy!

If you try this Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!

(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. This post was originally sponsored by Backyard Farms and published on March 28, 2016. It's now updated with more photos and recipe information.)