Easy Tomato Basil Bruschetta Recipe

This Easy Tomato Basil Bruschetta Recipe is a refreshing appetizer that fits in at any summer party! Made with cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic glaze, the colorful mixture is completely irresistible when topped on toasted bread.

A fresh tomato bruschetta for summer celebrations

A warm and sunny day calls for this Easy Tomato Basil Bruschetta Recipe. The bold flavors from a medley of cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, balsamic glaze, and olive oil are deliciously refreshing and completely crowd-pleasing. It’s also easy to make and requires very little assembly!

People always get excited when a fresh tomato bruschetta arrives on the table. Who wouldn’t love all of that tomato-y goodness on top of a piece of crusty toasted bread? It isn’t the kind of snack you stop eating after just one helping.

You have to try it for your next party! This simple appetizer doesn’t keep you in the kitchen for long, is budget-friendly, and can even be prepared ahead of time.

Bruschetta vs. crostini

When you hear, “bruschetta”, I’m sure you think of delicious tomato goodness on top of bread, right? The term “bruschetta” actually only refers to the tomato mixture and not the bread! 

Bruschetta is almost always served on crusty, toasted bread, otherwise known as crostini (AKA “little toasts”). Spreads or fresh vegetables, like tomatoes, radishes and butter or herby sauteed mushroomsalways go well on crostini.

Ingredients needed

Use only the freshest ingredients when making bruschetta with tomatoes and basil. It may be a simple snack, but the vibrant flavors are meant to be on display:  

Tomatoes

Ripe summer cherry tomatoes are my go-to in a simple bruschetta recipe. Why? Because they’re colorful (no need to stick with just red tomatoes!), juicy, and bright. They’re essentially nature’s candy!

You can make bruschetta with almost any type of tomato instead. Beefsteak, Roma, and heirloom tomatoes are all great options. Just make sure to chop them finely for easy eating.

Basil

Fresh basil is a must! I like to tear the basil or give it a rough chop. A lot of bruschetta recipes call for a chiffonade but I find the long strings aren’t as easy to eat and don’t look as cute. 

Olive oil

Olive oil and balsamic happen to be the perfect match for fresh Italian salads and appetizers like bruschetta and Caprese. Try to find a high quality olive oil to really help those flavors shine. The difference between low quality and high quality oil is night and day, so do your research before you go shopping.

Balsamic glaze

I don’t recommend replacing the balsamic glaze (AKA balsamic reduction) with balsamic vinegar because the thick consistency coats the tomatoes really well. The vinegar has a thinner consistency and will make the tomato mixture too liquidy. If you can’t find balsamic glaze, it’s really easy to make at home using balsamic vinegar and sugar.

Salt and pepper

To really help all of the delicious Italian flavors stand out.

Crostini

The tomato basil garlic goodness is best served on little toasts called crostini. These are easy to make at home using a baguette and olive oil and can even be made weeks ahead of time. When it’s time to serve, plate the crostini around the bowl of bruschetta with a spoon and let your guests serve themselves!

How to make this easy tomato basil bruschetta

Ready to learn how to make this easy and refreshing cherry tomato bruschetta? Great! These step-by-step photos will help you along the way:

Recipe