Bruschetta Recipe with Mozzarella
This Bruschetta Recipe with Mozzarella is an insanely delicious combination of the most classic Italian flavors!!
Tomatoes, basil, and garlic combine with mozzarella to create an utterly delicious starter! Plus, this easy appetizer comes together in just 15 minutes, and you’ll love it for entertaining!
What could be more perfect than tomatoes and mozzarella? This recipe combines familiar tomato bruschetta with fresh mozzarella, creating a match made in heaven!
Mozzarella is amazing, warm, and melted in focaccia toppings or in the much-loved sandwich, mozzarella in carozza, but it’s also wonderful eaten fresh. It has a creaminess and softness, unlike other cheeses, and is perfect teamed with fresh, vibrant ingredients.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Summer Entertaining: This bruschetta recipe with mozzarella is ideal for entertaining, particularly in summer when tomatoes are at their best.
- Quick and Easy: What’s not to love – minimal cooking and preparation with maximum taste and flavor!
- Adaptable: There are many ways to prepare bruschetta. However, this appetizer always relies on quality ingredients. And with a couple of easy steps, you can enjoy excellent Bruschetta with mozzarella.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
Use good quality ingredients for this bruschetta recipe with mozzarella.
- Sourdough or ciabatta bread – don’t use soft, fluffy white bread.
- Garlic – fresh garlic, please! This isn’t the recipe in which bottled garlic works.
- Tomatoes – Use tomatoes that are vine-ripened and sweet.
- Fresh basil – Don’t use dried basil.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Buy the best you can afford and that you like the taste of.
- Salt – Using flaked pure salt is the best choice, but use what you have. Salt will bring out the flavor of the ingredients so you must taste and add more if you need it.
- Bocconcini or fresh mozzarella – Small balls of mozzarella are known as bocconcini and are wonderful for this recipe. If not, regular fresh mozzarella would be just as delicious.
Substitutions
- Bread – Use gluten-free bread if you need to. The result will be slightly different but still delicious!
- Basil – If you don’t have fresh basil, try spreading a thin layer of basil pesto on the bread after rubbing it with garlic as an alternative.
Variations
- Add an anchovy on each bruschetta.
- Use shaved Parmesan instead of mozzarella. I guess it wouldn’t be “bruschetta with mozzarella,” though, would it?
How to make bruschetta with mozzarella
I like to cut the bread into ½ inch (almost 1½ cm) thick slices for this bruschetta recipe with mozzarella. However, if you buy the loaf pre-sliced, don’t have it cut thinly.
Cut the tomatoes roughly over a bowl to catch all the juices.
Stir in torn basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.
Toast the bread, then rub the warm bread with a cut garlic clove.
Spoon the tomato mixture and the juices onto the prepared bread, then top with chunks of torn mozzarella.
To finish, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Tips for Success
- Firstly, choose a great sourdough loaf. Please don’t use a soft, fluffy, white loaf to make a bruschetta recipe with mozzarella. You’ll need the sourdough for its density, thick crust, and, of course, flavor.
- Use a good serrated knife to cut it into thick slices and toast it longer than normal or until nicely charred. To toast the bread, use a griddle pan or electric toaster or pop it under the top element in the oven.
- Don’t skip rubbing the warm bread with a cut garlic clove. This is so good!! I even enjoy the bread just like this with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. YUM!
- Some recipes will ask you to deseed or drain the juice from the tomatoes. This is not necessary if you use dense, well-toasted bread. Why would you want to throw out the tomato flavor? Serve immediately after assembly so that the bread is not soggy. If the tomatoes are extra watery, leave the juices behind and spoon over as much as you want.
FAQ
More important than the type of tomato is its ripeness. Use ripe tomatoes, preferably ones that have been ripened on the vine. I prefer homegrown tomatoes, but if that’s not possible, go to your local farmer’s market to choose the sweetest, ripest tomatoes for this bruschetta recipe with mozzarella.
This bruschetta recipe with mozzarella is so quick to make, that it shouldn’t be necessary. However, if you prefer, the tomato mixture can be made around 30 minutes beforehand, and the bread can be sliced in advance. The tomato mixture can become very watery if made too far in advance.
If basil is bruised or chopped too finely, it can sometimes taste bitter. Also, make sure you choose red ripe tomatoes that are sweet.
Serving suggestions
Why not allow diners to assemble their own Bruschetta with mozzarella? Serve a big bowl of the tomato mixture, torn mozzarella, olive oil, and salt, along with toasted, garlicky bread, and let everyone dig in!
To complete the Italian feast, you can include:-
- fresh ricotta
- salami
- Garlic Herb Cheese Spread
- Italian Roasted Peppers
- my Nonna’s peperonata
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- fresh figs
- toasted Semolina Bread
- fresh homemade pasta such as my garganelli or my cavatelli, serve them both on the side with sauce.
Now, that’s a feast for the eyes and the stomach!
More recipes like this
Focaccia Genovese
Stuffed Zucchini with Ricotta
Rice Stuffed Tomatoes
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Bruschetta with Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 8 slices sourdough bread in ½ inch slices (or a little less than 1½ cm)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for finishing
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for finishing
- fresh basil leaves as much as you like
- 4 ounces (115 grams) bocconcini or fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes roughly over a bowl to catch all the juices.
- Stir in torn basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil and salt.
- Peel garlic and cut in half.
- Toast the bread then rub the warm bread with a cut garlic cloves.
- Divide the tomato mixture and as much of the juices as you like onto prepare bread.
- Tear mozzarella into some chunks and scatter over the tomato.
- To finish, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Serve immediately after assembly so that the bread is not soggy
Notes
- Select a hearty sourdough loaf. Skip the soft, fluffy white loaves! You want the density, thick crust, and robust flavor of sourdough.
- Slice the bread into thick pieces using a good serrated knife. Toast them a bit longer than usual, aiming for a nice char.
- You can toast the bread using a griddle pan, electric toaster, or under the broiler in your oven.
- Don’t forget to rub the warm toast with a cut clove of garlic.
- Some recipes call for deseeding or draining the tomatoes. This step is unnecessary when using dense, well-toasted sourdough and ripe, good-quality tomatoes.
- If your tomatoes are very juicy, simply skip spooning over the excess juices, using only as much as you prefer.
- Make this recipe just before serving.
- Use gluten-free bread instead for a gluten-free option.
- If you don’t have fresh basil, try spreading some basil pesto on the bread after rubbing it with garlic. Avoid dried basil. It won’t provide the freshness of fresh basil.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
love the smell and taste coming from the basil and garlic, quick breakfast bread to have.
I totally agree with you, Jen!
I have a pantry full of tomatoes that will love featuring in these bruschettas. Thanks for sharing.
the best bread for my after run brunches, I dont need to eat out after my runs if I can make this at home, so good
This is the perfect recipe to make some starters for a dinner party!
What a perfect summer treat with beautiful colour and flavour!
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