Perfect Tomato Bruschetta

This tomato bruschetta is everything, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their best! You only need 15 minutes!

I can’t tell you how often I make this bruschetta recipe! It’s an absolute slam dunk for a light summer dinner or when I’m entertaining. While bruschetta is simple to make, I have a few tricks to guarantee yours is the best!

Always use the best tomatoes you can find (and keep them at room temperature). Second, let the tomatoes sit with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes before serving—trust me. Last but not least, be sure to rub your grilled or toasted bread with fresh garlic before topping it with the tomatoes. Do these three things, and you’ll be in tomato bruschetta heaven! For more of my favorite tomato recipes, see my Caprese salad, Panzanella salad, or this incredible tomato gazpacho.

Key Ingredients

• Tomatoes: Everyone is probably telling you to use the best tomatoes for the best bruschetta (including me), but let’s make sure we are on the same page with what that means. You are going to find the best tomatoes later in the summer. They should feel heavy and have smooth skins. When you smell it, they should smell like tomatoes (if there’s no smell, skip it!). If you crave bruschetta outside of tomato season, use cherry tomatoes. We’ve found them to be sweeter and more consistent all year round. Finally, don’t refrigerate your tomatoes. Something happens after refrigerating tomatoes (they become less flavorful and tomato-y). We store them on the counter. They taste so much better this way.
• Bread: I use a rustic Italian or French loaf of bread to make bruschetta. It should be soft and chewy, with a little bite around the crust. It also needs to hold up to the tomatoes and their juices.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is key to the best bruschetta. I don’t add garlic to my tomatoes but rub my warm, toasted (or grilled) bread.
• Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, and Basil: I use olive oil when toasting my bread and add a drizzle to my chopped tomatoes. Salt really helps bring out the tomato flavor, and basil is lovely (although don’t fret if you don’t have any – the tomatoes are the star here).
• Mozzarella (Optional): If I add some, I simply tear fresh mozzarella into smaller pieces and place them on top of the tomatoes and bread.

The first thing I do when making bruschetta is chop and toss my tomatoes with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Then, I set the bowl aside while I toast or grill my bread. As the tomatoes sit with the salt, they release lots of delicious juices, making the tomato topping extra delicious (I do the same when making my tomato and mozzarella salad).

Then, once my bread has been toasted (or grilled), I rub it with fresh garlic – this is a classic Italian trick for making bruschetta, and it is so worth it. The garlic melts onto the bread and prepares it for the tomato topping. So good!