Bruschetta with Mozzarella or Bruschetta Caprese is an easy Italian antipasto recipe. This tasty appetizer is made with crispy toast, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, garlic, and basil, drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar glaze, salt, and pepper. It's so simple, yet so delicious!
First things first. If you want to sound like you know what you're doing, you have to pronounce the word "bruschetta" like a true Italian! While most Americans pronounce the word with the "ch" or "sh" sound, the proper way to pronounce it is with a "k" sound, or "broo-skeh-tah." Got it? Ok, let's move on!
There are many variations of bruschetta and the taste can vary greatly based on the ingredients used. My favorite is bruschetta with mozzarella. It is also referred to as Bruschetta Caprese. Caprese is an Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil so the name is quite fitting, don't you think?
To me, it's all about the cheese 🧀, can I get an amen? Sometimes, prosciutto, salami, or beans are added as well. However, if you want to keep it vegan, you can certainly serve it without cheese or meat.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This Bruschetta with mozzarella recipe is quick and so easy to prepare.
- Bruschetta Caprese only requires a handful of ingredients.
- Some of the prep work can be done ahead of time.
- The recipe can be customized based on who is being served. As mentioned earlier, you can leave off the cheese to make it vegan-friendly or add salami or other meats to make the bruschetta more substantial and filling.
🛒 What You Need to Make This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bread: French baguettes are a popular choice for making bruschetta. They are a perfect size. Other great options include ciabatta and sourdough.
- Tomatoes: Although my recipe calls for grape tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or your favorite variety!
- Garlic: The grilled toast is often rubbed with fresh garlic before adding the tomato salad. In this recipe, I infuse the olive oil with lots of fresh garlic and brush the bread with it before toasting it. The remaining garlic is added to the tomato salad.
- Oil & Vinegar: Be sure to use good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic balsamic glaze. It can make all the difference! You can also use balsamic vinegar but expect it to be runnier.
- Seasoning: You'll need sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the Bruschetta Caprese before serving it.
- Herbs: When it comes to bruschetta, fresh basil is the herb of choice. However, you can also try fresh mint or oregano.
- Cheese: You'll need ½ lb of fresh mozzarella to make this recipe, however, goat cheese and feta cheese would be wonderful too! Some recipes even call for freshly grated parmesan cheese that's melted on the toast before adding the tomato salad.
- Optional: Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon juice to the salad, just make sure to drain the salad before adding it to the toast. Alternatively, you can use a slotted spoon.
🥖How to Make Bruschetta with Mozzarella
Step 1: Chop tomatoes, season with sea salt, and drain in a colander. Meanwhile, mince garlic. Add ½ of the garlic to the olive oil. Place drained tomatoes in a small bowl and mix with the remaining minced garlic.
Step 2: Chiffonade the basil by stacking the leaves on top of one another and rolling them. Next, slice the basil into ribbons and mix it with the tomato mixture.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 3: Slice the baguette on a diagonal (on a bias). Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with oil and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for approximately 7 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Step 4: Mix the remaining garlic-infused oil into the tomato salad and adjust the seasoning as needed. Mine needed a pinch of salt.
Step 5: Arrange mozzarella and tomato salad onto the toast and drizzle it with olive oil and balsamic glaze or vinegar. Season the bruschetta with freshly ground black pepper and kosher or sea salt before serving.
Pro Tip: To make some vegan bruschetta, don't add mozzarella cheese to all the slices.
FAQs
Bruschetta topping is usually made of chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, and fresh basil. This simple salad is seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or glaze.
In Italy, bruschetta is considered an antipasto, which is Italian for appetizers. If you choose to add cheese, and cold cuts, it can be served as a quick meal.
Bruschetta is best when served cold and as soon as it's assembled. If it sits too long, the bread will get soggy and the tomatoes will eventually get mushy.
Bruschetta is Italian toast, topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil. Caprese, on the other hand, is an Italian salad made with freshly sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.
Pro Tips
- If you love onions, and I do, consider adding minced spring onions or red onion to the tomato salad.
- Black olives, especially kalamata olives would be a wonderful addition as well!
- I prefer using balsamic glaze over balsamic vinegar. Not only is it more delicious, but it's thicker and doesn't spread or bleed as much as vinegar does.
- I don't recommend assembling bruschetta with mozzarella ahead of time since it's better when served fresh. However, you can make some preparations ahead of time, for example, slicing the baguette, or preparing the bruschetta to allow the flavors to develop.
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📖 Recipe
Bruschetta with Mozzarella (Bruschetta Caprese)
Ingredients
- 1 lb grape tomatoes (2½ cups)
- 5 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 baguette
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- 2 tablespoon balsamic glaze or vinegar
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Chop tomatoes, season with sea salt, and drain in a colander. Meanwhile, mince garlic. Add ½ of the garlic to the olive oil. Place drained tomatoes in a small bowl and mix with the remaining minced garlic.
- Chiffonade the basil by stacking the leaves on top of one another and rolling them. Next, slice the basil into ribbons and mix it with the tomato mixture.
Preheat oven to 425°F
- Slice the baguette on a diagonal (on a bias). Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with oil and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for approximately 7 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Mix the remaining garlic-infused oil into the tomato salad and adjust the seasoning as needed. Mine needed a pinch of salt.
- Arrange mozzarella and tomato salad onto the toast and drizzle it with olive oil and balsamic glaze or vinegar. Season the bruschetta with freshly ground black pepper and kosher or sea salt before serving.
Notes
- If you love onions, and I do, consider adding minced spring onions or red onion to the tomato salad.
- Black olives, especially kalamata olives would be a wonderful addition as well!
- I prefer using balsamic glaze over balsamic vinegar. Not only is it more delicious, but it's thicker and doesn't spread or bleed as much as vinegar does.
- I don't recommend assembling bruschetta with mozzarella ahead of time since it's better when served fresh. However, you can make some preparations ahead of time, for example, slicing the baguette, or preparing the bruschetta to allow the flavors to develop.
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