Bruschetta with Mozzarella

5 from 10 votes

Bruschetta with Mozzarella

This easy Bruschetta with Mozzarella is the perfect cold summer appetizer. It is full of grape tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, and garlic. Serve this mixture on top of baked slices of baguette drizzled with balsamic glaze.

Prep Time5

Course: Appetizer/Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces grape tomatoes halved*
6 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls*
2-3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
¼ cup basil ribbons chiffonade, see photos above
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing the bread
½ teaspoon salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 small baguette sliced ½ inch thick*
balsamic glaze*

Instructions

Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Stack 3-4 basil leaves on top of each other. Roll them up as tightly as possible.
Slice the roll thinly with a sharp knife to create thin ribbons.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Fold until all of the ingredients are well combined. Set aside while you prepare the bread.
On a large baking sheet, place the sliced baguette in a single layer. Brush with olive so each piece is lightly coated. Season with salt if desired.
Bake for 4-5 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes for more color if desired. Spoon the tomato and mozzarella mixture on the toasted baguette right before serving and finish with balsamic glaze.

Notes

Grape Tomatoes: These are my favorite to use but you can swap these for any red tomato, like Roma tomatoes. If using a whole tomato, it is best to remove the seeds. Use a paper towel to drain some of the excess liquid from the cut tomatoes so they do make the mixture watery.
Mozzarella Pearls: These are typically found by the other fresh mozzarella and come in a tub of water. If you cannot find them, you can half or quarter fresh mozzarella balls or chop up a log of it. I do not recommend the more processed blocks of mozzarella for this recipe.
Baguette: You can use any small white french loaf.
Balsamic Glaze: This is a thick and sweet sauce made from reduced balsamic vingar. You can make it homemade or just buy it. It is not the same a balsamic vinegar.
Use good quality ingredients. Since this recipe is so simple, the quality and freshness of the ingredients is even more important.
Use a garlic press. This is the best way to get the garlic in small pieces since it will be served raw. You do not want to bite into a hunk of garlic. You can also use a large knife to mince it and repeat, until it is extremely fine.
Let the tomatoes marinate. While I prepare the bread I like to let the tomato mixture marinate. This allows time for the flavors to develop. You can also make this a couple of hours before serving and let it marinate in the refrigerator.
Toast & season the bread. This extra step makes a huge difference. The bread holds up better and has more flavor by adding just a little oil, salt and pepper.
Do not assemble ahead of time. You want to spoon the tomato mixture on the toast right before serving. This ensures the bread does not become soggy. However, the bruschetta mixture can be the day before and stored in the fridge. It gets better with time!

Nutrition