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    Home ➞ All Recipes ➞ Appetizers

    Bruschetta with Mozzarella

    Published: September 17, 2021 // Updated: September 17, 2021 // by Shannon Emery

    Jump To RecipePrint RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    A white square serving platter serves bruschetta with mozzarella garnished with fresh basil.
    A white rectangular plate is serving a bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella mixture.
    A bowl of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella mixed with olive oil and basil. A spoonful is topping bruschetta.
    A pink plate serves cherry tomato bruschetta with mozzarella on slices of toasted baguette.
    A pink plate serves cherry tomato bruschetta with mozzarella on slices of toasted baguette.

    There is nothing quite like the classic flavor combination of sweet tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella. Allow this winning flavor trio to marinate with a bit of olive oil, balsamic, and garlic, serve on slices of rustic toasted gluten-free bread, and you’ll have a simple bruschetta with mozzarella appetizer that everyone will love and devour. Just 30 minutes start to finish!

    A white rectangular plate is serving a bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella mixture.

    If you don't have a tasty appetizer like Bruschetta with Mozzarella in your back pocket yet, stick this one in it.

    All of those cherry tomato plants that are still going bonkers in your garden? This recipe is how you will use them up. Or just hit up the grocery store, where year-round cherry tomatoes can always be found.

    But first, let's get something ironed out really quickly. It's broo-SKET-tuh NOT bruh-shett-uh. Tasty food shouldn't sound like a swear word. Okay bruh?

    Jump to:
    • 🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🛒 Ingredients & suggestions
    • 🍅 How to slice a bunch of cherry tomatoes at once
    • 🌿 How to cut basil
    • 🔪 Step-by-step instructions
    • 👩‍🍳 Recipe tips
    • 💭 Frequently asked questions
    • ✨ More tasty appetizer recipes!
    • 💕 Follow along!
    • 📖 Recipe

    🌟 Why you'll love this recipe

    It's an easy appetizer that's awesome for ALL seasons.

    • Need something tasty to curtail everyone's hunger while waiting for the Thanksgiving turkey to finish? This is it.
    • Want a festive appetizer to go along with your Christmas meal? This is it.
    • Wondering what you should serve at your New Year's Eve party? This is it.
    • And how about Valentine's Day, 4th of July, every summer bbq and picnic you can handle? Yep, bruschetta with mozzarella is how we're vibing.

    Juicy, sweet tomatoes, fresh basil that you just wanna shove up your nose and smell all day, and a beautiful gluten-free loaf of rustic bread (hopefully you've got someone in your city making something like that, if not it might be time to move). And fresh mozzarella, cuz I need cheese and it's basically my life source. If it's not your life source, just leave the mozza out and all will be fine.

    It comes together quickly, think roughly 30 minutes. SO tasty. Bright, fresh, summery flavors. Maybe we'll skip the appetizer and just make this our meal. Can I get an amen? Yes, yes, and yes.

    🛒 Ingredients & suggestions

    Ingredients for bruschetta with mozzarella are are set out on a marble countertop.
    • Cherry tomatoes: If you can't find cherry tomatoes, any fresh, sweet tomato will do but be mindful that larger tomatoes will have tougher skins and more seeds which can affect the texture and flavor of the bruschetta topping so consider removing them.
    • Extra virgin olive oil: A high quality EVOO is what you want. Not sure which olive oils are high quality? Here is a great list of recommendations.
    • Balsamic vinegar: Not sure which balsamic vinegar is best? Here is a helpful guide. And yes, I forgot to put it in the picture so just pretend it's there.
    • Basil: Use fresh basil, not dried.
    • Garlic: Use as much or as little as you'd like. I believe the amount of garlic you use is a personal choice.
    • Lemon: A little bit of lemon zest gives the bruschetta topping a subtle, bright pop of Mmmm...
    • Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella can be found in different sizes: pearls, ciligiene (cherry-sized), or in a log. I used ciligiene, sliced in half. A smoosh of burrata on each toast underneath the tomato topping would be pretty incredible too.
    • Gluten-free bread: Typically bruschetta is made with thick slices of rustic Italian or sourdough-style bread; a bread that can hold up to olive oil and juicy tomatoes without becoming overly soggy. I'm going with a rustic gluten-free baguette so that it's a bit more conducive for serving as a small handheld appetizer (which would technically make this a crostini recipe simply because of the bread's smaller size).

    For a full list of ingredients and quantities see the recipe card at the end of this post.

    🍅 How to slice a bunch of cherry tomatoes at once

    The most time consuming part of this recipe would normally be slicing all of those cherry tomatoes in half if it weren't for this simple kitchen hack! You know all of those deli containers and take-out containers that you've been storing up? Grab two of the lids from those containers to efficiently halve a handful of cherry tomatoes at once. Lemme show ya.

    Cherry tomatoes are placed on a deli container lid. A second lid is placed on top.

    Step 1: Place the container lid top-side up on a work surface. Place a handful of cherry tomatoes on the lid.

    Step 2: Place a second lid on top of the tomatoes.

    A hand is placed on the top lid and a serrated knife cuts through the tomatoes.

    Step 3: Press down gently on the top lid with one hand to keep everything in place. Using a serrated knife gently saw through the tomatoes by working a knife horizontally between both lids.

    Step 4: And now you're tomatoes are halved! Pretty awesome kitchen hack, right?!

    🌿 How to cut basil

    Let's chiffonade some basil, which in basic home-cook language just means let's cut some basil into thin strips. Here's a simple way to do it.

    A hand stacks basil leaves on top of each other and begins to roll them up.

    Step 1: Stack the basil leaves on top of each other so that the leaf edges are curled up.

    Step 2: Roll the leaves up into a tight cylinder.

    A hand holds basil leaves in the shape of a tight cylinder. The basil is thinly sliced.

    Step 3: Hold the basil with one hand in a tight cylinder.

    Step 4: Using a sharp knife thinly slice the basil from one end to the other. And that's it!

    🔪 Step-by-step instructions

    Now that we've got our cherry tomatoes and basil prepped, let's put this simple bruschetta goodness together.

    a hand is adding ingredients for bruschetta into a bowl and then stirring them together.

    Step 1: Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a bowl.

    Step 2: Give everything a stir. Then let it marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

    A baguette is sliced on the bias. The slices are laid out on a sheet pan and are brushed with olive oil.

    Step 3: While the tomato mixture is marinating, prep the baguette (or any rustic-style bread you prefer). Slice the baguette at a diagonal (this allows for more surface area to load those tomatoes onto) into ½" slices.

    Step 4: Lay the bread slices on a large sheet pan and brush with olive oil. Pop them in the oven at 400°F to toast for about 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden.

    Small mozzarella balls are sliced in half and added to the tomato mixture. Toast baguette slices are topped with the bruschetta mixture.

    Step 5: If using ciligiene (cherry-sized) mozzarella, slice each mozza ball in half. Add the mozzarella to the tomato mixture and give it a stir to combine.

    Step 6: Spoon the tomato mozzarella mixture onto the toasted bread slices and EEEAT. Your mouth is so happy right now.

    A pink plate serves cherry tomato bruschetta with mozzarella on slices of toasted baguette.

    👩‍🍳 Recipe tips

    • Your bruschetta will only be as good as your ingredients. High quality ingredients are important even in recipes that seem fairly minimalistic. Definitely don't skimp on using a high quality olive oil. It will be the difference between a ho-hum bruschetta and a tasty bruschetta.
    • Brush the olive oil on the bread with a basting brush versus drizzling it so that the bread will toast and brown evenly.
    • Too hot in your home to turn on the oven? Toast the bread on a medium-hot grill instead. Some nice smokey grill marks would be suuuper yum.
    A bowl of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella mixed with olive oil and basil. A spoonful is topping bruschetta.

    💭 Frequently asked questions

    Where can I find gluten-free rustic-style bread and baguettes?

    New Cascadia Traditional is my go-to gluten-free baker for baguettes and rustic-style bread. If you live in the Portland-Vancouver Metro area you can find their baked goods in most grocery stores. They also offer mail order options for their breads, bagels, buns, and rolls.

    Is bruschetta the bread or the topping?

    Bruschetta is the olive-oil brushed slices of toasted bread, not the topping. Traditional bruschetta is also rubbed with a garlic clove after it is toasted. I like adding the garlic to the tomato mozzarella topping instead (and then my hands don't smell like garlic for days either, which I can't say I would actually mind though).

    Should bruschetta be served warm or cold?

    Warm, toasty bruschetta is dreamy and wonderful. I also like the tomato mozzarella topping to be served at room temperature versus cold. But feel free to do you Boo.

    Can I make the bruschetta topping a day ahead of time?

    I wouldn't recommend it. This recipe is best made shortly before you plan to serve it.

    A white square serving platter serves bruschetta with mozzarella garnished with fresh basil.

    Now go gather your people. Break out the vino and kick off your meal with this Italian appetizer magic. ♡

    ✨ More tasty appetizer recipes!

    • A charcuterie board loaded with cheeses, meats, nuts, olives, crackers, and fruit.
      Simple Charcuterie Board
    • Fig, prosciutto and port salut cheese crostini are topped with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
      Crostini with Fig & Prosciutto
    • Bacon wrapped dates are served on a white rectangular plate.
      Bacon Wrapped Dates with Manchego
    • Smoked salmon dip with dill and capers served with almond crackers and sweet potato chips.
      Smoked Salmon Dip with Dill & Capers
    • Simple Charcuterie Board the perfect appetizer to serve at a party or a holiday gathering!
    • Crostini with Fig & Proscuitto another tasty appetizer that takes just 10 minutes to prep!
    • Smoked Salmon Dip only 5 minutes to make and perfect for ANY party
    • Bacon Wrapped Dates with Manchego a salty-sweet appetizer with a secret ingredient for spicy kick

    💕 Follow along!

    Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more tasty recipe inspiration!

    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a star rating below! I greatly appreciate your feedback and it is also so helpful for other PMST readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Remember to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!

    Print

    📖 Recipe

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    A white rectangular plate is serving a bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella mixture.

    Bruschetta with Mozzarella


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    • Author: Shannon Emery
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 10 1x
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    Description

    There is nothing quite like the classic flavor combination of sweet tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella. This simple gluten-free Bruschetta with Mozzarella is a 30-minute appetizer that everyone will love and devour. 


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 pints (21 ounces) cherry tomatoes, de-stemmed and halved
    • 1 bunch of fresh basil*, minced
    • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing on baguette slices)
    • 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
    • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 gluten-free baguette (or any type of rustic style bread), sliced ½" thick on the bias
    • 8 ounces ciliegine (cherry-sized) fresh mozzarella, each ball sliced in half


    Instructions

    1. Toss: In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Let it marinate for about 15-20 minutes.
    2. Toast the bread: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the baguette slices on a large baking sheet and brush the top of each slice with olive oil. Toast the baguette slices in the oven until golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
    3. Add the cheese: Once the baguette slices have toasted, add mozzarella to the tomato mixture and toss to combine.
    4. Serve: Spoon the tomato mozzarella mixture on top of the baguette slices just before serving. Enjoy!

    Equipment

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    Basting brush

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    Baking Pan

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    Notes

    The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.

    Ingredient quantities: The amount of basil you use is really up to you. Sometimes I love to load it up with extra basil and other times I'll use just a small handful. Try a spoonful of the tomato mixture and if you feel like it needs more basil (or any of the other ingredients for that matter) add more. This recipe is really forgiving with how much of each ingredient you use.

    Grill option: Too hot in your home to turn on the oven? Toast the bread on a medium-hot grill instead until you get some nice smokey grill marks. 

    Gluten-free rustic-style bread: New Cascadia Traditional is my go-to gluten-free baker for baguettes and rustic-style bread. If you live in the Portland-Vancouver Metro area you can find their baked goods in most grocery stores. They also offer mail order options for their breads, bagels, buns, and rolls.

    • Category: Appetizer
    • Method: Toast
    • Cuisine: Italian
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Keywords: bruschetta, tomatoes, mozzarella, appetizer, gluten-free appetizer

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @passmesometasty on Instagram. I'd love to see what you made!

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion. I am in no way sponsored or compensated by the brands mentioned in this post for my recommendations. This post may also contain affiliate links from which I may receive a small commission (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for your support!

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    Shannon Emery of Pass Me Some Tasty

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