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I'm not a fan of raw tomatoes, but if I were, this would be one of the things I'd be munching on all day. Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer or "antipasto" as it is called in Italian. It's incredibly easy to make and requires very few ingredients. Typically it consists of bread, tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. It's also topped with cheese sometimes and traditionally topped with balsamic vinegar. I believe the bread and tomatoes are supposed to be a vehicle for the balsamic. As much as I've tried to like it, I detest balsamic vinegar. It's just too strong for my palate. If you enjoy it, feel free to replace the vinegar I have in the recipe or you can even use both as an option. I use red wine vinegar because I don't find it as harsh as balsamic. It provides great flavor but doesn't take away from the stars which are the bread, tomatoes, and basil. This is how you make non-balsamic bruschetta.

REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE:

for my balsamic haters out there, this one is for you

such an easy recipe that makes a tasty appetizer or snack

fresh ingredients make it the best

INGREDIENTS FOR NON BALSAMIC BRUSCHETTA:

French or Italian bread - gets nice and crispy
olive oil - provides great flavor
red wine vinegar - provides the zing we may miss without the balsamic
garlic - adds a kick
tomatoes - the base of our topping
salt and black pepper to taste - brings out our flavors

How to Make Non-Balsamic Bruschetta:

Typically for the bread, Italian or French bread is used. I don't see an issue with either, but I used a French baguette in my case. Begin by cutting the baguette in half down the middle. Take one-half of the baguette and cut the end off. Begin to cut ¼" thick slices on a bias. Do this until you have 8-10 slices.

Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top. Place your bread slices on top of the foil and drizzle a bit more oil over the bread pieces.

Cook at 450°F for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. I personally just used my toaster oven, but you can use a normal oven if you'd like.

Take your bread out of your oven and set aside so it can cool slightly. In the meantime, smash one large garlic clove and begin to chop until finely minced. Add the garlic into a medium-sized bowl. For the tomatoes, make sure to use the best quality you can get. I ended up using tomatoes from my garden. That's ideal. If you don't garden, attempt to get farmer's market tomatoes or organic tomatoes at the supermarket.

Wash your tomatoes and begin to chop them into small dice, about ¼" in size dice. Continue to do this until all three are chopped. Be sure to be gentle and not allow the tomato juices to be squeezed out. Place the tomatoes into the same bowl with the garlic.

To the bowl, add the red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix gently to combine.

Begin to pile some of the tomato mixture onto the bread slices, making sure to avoid getting much of the tomato liquid on the bread. Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil (again, ideally from the garden) torn into pieces. Enjoy immediately!

SOME MORE GREAT APPETIZER RECIPES:

Non-Balsamic Bruschetta

fharajli

Another way to make bruschetta sans the balsamic vinegar. An easy, delicious summer appetizer.

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Cook Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Appetizers

Servings 10

Ingredients

8-10 slices French or Italian bread ¼" thick
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic
3 medium-sized tomatoes
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Typically for the bread, Italian or French bread is used. I don't see an issue with either, but I used a French baguette in my case. Begin by cutting the baguette in half down the middle. Take one half of the baguette and cut the end off. Begin to cut ¼" thick slices on a bias. Do this until you have 8-10 slices.
Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top. Place your bread slices on top of the foil and drizzle a bit more oil over the bread pieces.
Cook at 450°F for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. I personally just used my toaster oven, but you can use a normal oven if you'd like.
Take your bread out of your oven and set aside so they can cool slightly. In the meantime, smash one large garlic clove and begin to chop until finely minced. Add the garlic into a medium-sized bowl. For the tomatoes, make sure to use the best quality you can get. I ended up using tomatoes from my garden. That's ideal. If you don't garden, attempt to get farmer's market tomatoes or organic tomatoes at the supermarket.
Wash your tomatoes and the begin to chop into a small dice, about ¼" size dices. Continue to do this until all three are chopped. Be sure to be gentle and not allow the tomato juices to be squeezed out. Place the tomatoes into the same bowl with the garlic.
To the bowl, add in the red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix gently to combine.
Begin to pile some of the tomato mixture onto the bread slices, making sure to avoid getting much of the tomato liquid on the bread. Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil (again, ideally from the garden) tore into pieces. Enjoy immediately!

Video

Notes

Enjoy immediately as it will get soggy as it sits.

This recipe doesn't include balsamic vinegar due to my strong dislike for it, but feel free to use it in conjunction with the red wine vinegar or in its place.

Non-Balsamic Bruschetta