10 Minute Bruschetta with Mozzarella
This quick and easy 10 Minute Bruschetta with Mozzarella is one of the best simple appetizers ever. It’s loaded with fresh summer flavors and takes just minutes to throw together, which makes it a family favorite in our house!
You Will Love This
- Ripe juicy tomatoes, freshly chopped basil, fruity olive oil, tangy balsamic vinegar, and bold garlic combine for one of the most classic flavor combinations ever! Add fresh mozzarella and crusty French bread and you’ve got a delicious hand held appetizer your guests will love. It could also serve as a quick and easy lunch on a busy day!
- If you loved this easy bruschetta recipe be sure to check out my 20 Minute Bruschetta and Balsamic Pasta, Greek Cucumber Tomato Salad, or my Garlic Tomato Pasta with White Wine Sauce.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Grape Tomatoes – I love to use grape tomatoes for bruschetta even though they are not traditional. I like that they don’t release as much liquid as a regular slicing tomato or a Roma tomato. You really can use whatever kind of tomato you like or have on hand for this recipe, though. But you may want to consider removing the seeds and guts if you use other tomatoes to avoid a water bruschetta.
- Olive Oil – I like to use an organic, cold-pressed olive oil for this recipe since you’re going to taste it quite a bit. You could also use grapeseed or avocado oil.
- Balsamic Vinegar – This is our family’s favorite brand of balsamic vinegar. I would not recommend substituting the balsamic with another vinegar as this is a really key flavor in the bruschetta with mozzarella.
- Basil – Freshly cut basil is preferable for this recipe. Dried basil is not going to give you the same flavor.
- Garlic – I prefer to use freshly sliced garlic for this recipe, but if you have folks who may be averse to slices of garlic, then you could use this garlic paste for a similar texture. 1 teaspoon of garlic paste equals 1 clove of garlic. Or you could finely mince the garlic cloves instead of slicing them!
- Mozzarella Pearls – I like the bite-size convenience of mozzarella pearls, but you could also dice up a log or ball of fresh mozzarella as well.
- French Bread – I like to grab a crusty loaf from our local bakery or use the take and bake loaves from the grocery store for the best flavor.
Instructions
Add tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, mozzarella, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper to a large bowl.
Mix until well combined and set aside while you broil crostini.
Brush sliced French bread with olive oil, brushing it in an even layer across the bread.
Broil for 1-2 minutes. Then flip sliced French bread over, brush with olive oil and broil for another minute.
Top toasted crostini with bruschetta and mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if desired, garnish with basil and enjoy!
Tips
- You might be tempted to skip the broiling of the sliced French bread, but I’m telling you, it really makes all the difference in this recipe. It gives you a super crisp base for the ripe juicy tomato topping. Regular sliced French bread will work in a pinch, but it will soak up more of the juices from the bruschetta and may get soggy. The additional brush of olive oil on the sliced bread will also add another layer of flavor that your guests will love!
- The ingredients for the bruschetta can be prepped ahead of time, but I don’t recommend assembling the bruschetta more than a couple hours in advance. The vinegar in the bruschetta will begin to break down the tomatoes and they’ll continue to release their juices which will give you a watery bruschetta. The great part about this recipe is that it takes just a few minutes to throw together which, in my opinion, makes up for not being able to make it in advance!
FAQ
Many think that bruschetta refers to the diced tomato topping, but bruschetta is actually grilled bread with toppings. While tomato bruschetta is the most popular topping, you can top the grilled bread with lots of things! Caprese, on the other hand, is typically a salad made with tomato, basil, and mozzarella, so there’s no bread. In this bruschetta recipe we combine the best of both worlds!
I like to serve bruschetta at room temperature with the toasted crostini warm from the oven. Although room temperature crostini will work as well. Bruschetta is great for a cook-out or party because it doesn’t need to be kept cold or warm. Just let it sit out on the counter at room temperature.
Bruschetta typically gets watery from the juices in the tomatoes. This is where using grape tomatoes really comes in handy as they have small seeds and not much for guts. If you’re using a slicing tomato or beef steak tomato, consider removing the guts and seeds to avoid watery bruschetta.
Easy Delicious Appetizers
Print10 Minute Bruschetta with Mozzarella
This quick and easy 10 Minute Bruschetta with Mozzarella is one of the best simple appetizers ever. It’s loaded with fresh summer flavors and takes just minutes to throw together, which makes it a family favorite in our house!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 pint halved grape tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup julienne cut basil + more for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 14 oz. French bread, sliced
- balsamic glaze, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, mozzarella, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside while you broil crostini.
- Brush sliced French bread with 1 tablespoon olive oil, brushing it in an even layer across the bread.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes.
- Then flip sliced French bread over and brush with another tablespoon olive oil. Broil for another minute or so.
- Top toasted crostini with bruschetta and mozzarella.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze, garnish with basil and enjoy!
Notes
- You might be tempted to skip the broiling of the sliced French bread, but I’m telling you, it really makes all the difference in this recipe. It gives you a super crisp base for the ripe juicy tomato topping. Regular sliced French bread will work in a pinch, but it will soak up more of the juices from the bruschetta and may get soggy. The additional brush of olive oil on the sliced bread will also add another layer of flavor that your guests will love!
- The ingredients for the bruschetta can be prepped ahead of time, but I don’t recommend assembling the bruschetta more than a couple hours in advance. The vinegar in the bruschetta will begin to break down the tomatoes and they’ll continue to release their juices which will give you a watery bruschetta. The great part about this recipe is that it takes just a few minutes to throw together which, in my opinion, makes up for not being able to make it in advance!
Amazingly delicious! I’m requested to make this for the next party each time I bring it. Totally 5+ stars. Maybe I’m a slow cook, but 10 minutes my booty! Haha it takes me way longer as I make them for semi larger groups, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’ll make this again and again and again.
Amazingly fresh and easy! Everyone loves this. The only tweak I made was to not add the mozzarella in with the tomatoes, but rather after I flip the bread for broiling on the second side, I go ahead and put the mozzarella straight on there so that it can soften under the broiler. I keep a close eye on it and check it every 30 seconds to make sure it’s not burning. Thanks for the great recipe!
What a great idea to broil, Anne! That sounds delicious!
Amazing! My guests were so impressed – the whole tray was gone! Especially impressed because of how easy and fast this recipe was!
I am so glad to hear that! This is one of our family’s favorite summer appetizers too. So quick, easy, and delicious!