Italian Bruschetta
There's nothing like a delicious tomato bruschetta on a piece of crusty rustic bread! It's so very good as a starter.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Appetizers/Starters
Cuisine Italian
- 1 loaf Crusty or Rustic Bread Cut into thick slices.
- 1-2 cloves garlic Make into a garlic paste.*
- 3-4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large Tomatoes Ripe and juicy.
- 1 small bunch Fresh basil Tear into pieces.
- Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese or Parmesan cheese Optional.
- 1 pinch salt As needed.
Dice the tomatoes and put in a bowl. Add the torn basil leaves.
*Chop garlic. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on top, then smear the salt into the garlic with the flat side of a knife until a paste is created and the juices have released from the garlic.
Add garlic paste to the tomato mixture.
Add pinch of salt and pepper along with 3-4 Tbsp. of olive oil. Mix together well. Let the mixture marry for 5 minutes or so.
Slice the bread, and grill on both sides until both sides are crusty but soft enough in the middle.
Grate fresh garlic on the bread.
Scoop tomato mixture onto the bread. Garnish with fresh basil as desired.
Melissa's Modifications: This is a simplistic and easy recipe to prepare and serve. As a modification to this recipe, I have added fresh mozzarella or parmesan on the top, then broiled for a few minutes to melt the cheese before serving. If you do not eat dairy, use Violife plant-based cheeses. They are great alternatives. You can also make a cashew-nut-based ricotta cheese. The recipe is featured in my "Tasty Vegan Lasagna" recipe (posted last year in March).
Nutritional Values: 1 Serving - 123 Calories; 9g Fat; 3g Carbs; 1g Fiber; .8g Protein
With Added Violife plant-based cheese: 137 Calories; 10.2g Fat; Sodium 36.4mg; 3.9g Carbs; 1g Fiber; .8g Protein