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Appetizers / Bread / Lunch / Side Dishes / Snacks / Vegetarian

Garlic Bread Bruschetta Recipe

This easy Garlic Bread Bruschetta Recipe combines toasty garlic bread and a flavorful balsamic tomato salad to make a delicious and crowd-pleasing appetizer.

bread slices topped with tomato salad and served on a white platter

What is Bruschetta?

Bruschetta, a staple in Italian dining, combines a zesty tomato basil salad atop toasted bread. This simple, fresh appetizer pairs wonderfully with classic Italian pasta and is as easy as toasting bread and topping it with flavorful tomatoes.

Bruschetta Recipe Ingredients

  • For the Toasted Garlic Bread: Italian bread, olive oil, and garlic
  • For the Salad: grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese, basil ribbons, minced garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

How to Make Bruschetta

  1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 400˚F.
  2. Bread Slices: Using a pastry brush, brush each slice of bread with olive oil; transfer the slices to a baking sheet, oiled-side down. Toast your bread in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, keeping an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn.
  3. Rub With Garlic: Remove your toast from the oven and rub the cut side of the garlic cloves over each slice of toasted bread. Set aside.
  4. Make The Salad: Transfer the tomatoes to a mixing bowl. Add cheese, basil, and garlic, stirring to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, mixing until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust accordingly.
  5. Assemble & Serve: Divide up the salad over the toasted bread slices. Serve on a platter and enjoy!
white platter with toasted bread sliced covered in tomato salad with balsamic glaze

Recipe Tips

  • Use Fresh Ingredients: The fresher your ingredients are, the tastier your bruschetta will be.
  • Season to Taste: Before you add your tomato basil salad to your toast, taste it and make sure you’re satisfied with the amount of seasoning. Just try not to eat it all from the bowl! 😉
  • Start on Salad while Toasting Bread: As long as you’re keeping an eye on your bread while it’s toasting, you can start making your salad. This way, the salad will be ready to go when the bread is still nice and warm.

Serving Suggestions

Bruschetta is a delicious way to kick off any meal! It goes great with my super easy Skillet Lasagna, this Chicken Ranch Bacon Pasta, or these Juicy Skillet Balsamic Chicken Breasts.

Can Bruschetta Be Made in Advance?

This recipe is great for meal prepping. You can make your salad up to a day ahead of time and store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Then, when you’re ready to serve your bruschetta, all you have to do is toast the bread and assemble the dish.

close up shot of bruschetta

More Appetizer Recipes

close up shot of bruschetta
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Easy Garlic Bread Bruschetta Recipe

This Garlic Bread Bruschetta Recipe is prepared with toasty garlic bread topped with a flavorful balsamic tomato salad.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: best bruschetta recipe, best garlic bread recipe, bruschetta recipe, easy appetizer ideas, easy bruschetta, easy garlic bread, garlic bread recipe, how to make bruschetta
Servings: 8
Calories: 211kcal

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients

For the Toasted Garlic Bread

  • 8 slices Italian bread, 1/2-inch thick
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, cut in half

For the Salad

  • 2 cups fresh grape or cherry tomatoes, diced, (or 3 to 4 Roma tomatoes, diced)
  • ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh basil ribbons, (stack several basil leaves one on top of the other, roll them up tightly, and then slice into thin ribbons)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • balsamic glaze, optional, for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400˚F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  • Using a pastry brush, brush each slice of bread with olive oil and transfer them to the baking sheet, oiled-side down.
  • Toast the bread in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn.
  • Remove from oven; carefully flip over the bread slices, and rub the cut side of the garlic cloves over each piece of toasted bread. Set aside.
  • Transfer the diced tomatoes to a mixing bowl. Stir in the cheese, basil, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Add oil and balsamic vinegar; mix until thoroughly combined. Taste the salad and adjust accordingly.
  • Divide up the salad over the toasted bread slices, add just a drizzle of balsamic glaze over the top, and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

15 Comments

  • Beth
    Jul 27, 2020 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness this looks so incredible and delicious! I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jul 28, 2020 at 5:46 pm

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Allyson Zea
    Jul 28, 2020 at 12:48 am

    5 stars
    OHHHH I LOVED THIS! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jul 28, 2020 at 5:46 pm

      I am very glad you enjoyed it! THANK YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Dorothy Reinhold
    Jul 28, 2020 at 1:01 am

    I have a bunch of fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden. This will be perfect!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jul 28, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Toni
    Jul 28, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    5 stars
    This is such an amazing appetizer! Everyone at my house loved it!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jul 28, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sara Welch
    Jul 28, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    5 stars
    This was such a unique and decadent dish! Even my picky eaters gobbled this up! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jul 29, 2020 at 5:44 pm

      That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Cathy
    Jul 28, 2020 at 9:55 pm

    Love the garlic bread base!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jul 29, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      Thank you, Cathy! 🙂

      Reply
  • sanda
    Aug 17, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    how to you make balsamic glaze?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Aug 17, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      I usually buy mine – you can get it on Amazon (affiliate link) –> https://amzn.to/3kOTECp.
      But, you can also make your own by combining 2 cups balsamic vinegar with 1/2 cup brown sugar in a saucepan set over medium heat; whisk and stir constantly until sugar has dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until glaze is reduced by half. When it’s done, the glaze should coat the back of a spoon.
      Let the mixture cool. If you have leftovers, pour into a jar with a lid, and store glaze in refrigerator.

      Reply
  • Maricris
    Sep 25, 2023 at 8:03 am

    4 stars
    I had an abundance of tomatoes and basil from my garden so this recipe was perfect to try! I made the first batch exactly as the recipe calls, and then again last night with a couple modifications. I LOVE garlic, so I added garlic spread to the un-oiled side of the bread before placing in oven. Then I also added fresh mozzarella pearls while placing the salad on top! So yummy!!!

    Reply

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