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If you’re a fan of traditional tomato bruschetta, or a sweet caprese salad, then you’re going to love this combination. This caprese bruschetta recipe combines two Italian classics into a crunchy and fragrant bite that is perfect for a snack, a canape option or a delicious starter.
Where does it come from?
Bruschetta hails from Italy where it’s been traced back to the 15th century. It’s clear to see why this recipe has become such as staple throughout time – simple, tasty and practical. Insalata Caprese (Caprese salad) is also a classic Italian dish, which combines sweet basil, mild mozzarella and succulent tomatoes. Uniting the two together is such as natural and delicious fit!
Can you freeze it?
I do not recommend freezing the Caprese mixture. While it’s not going to harm you to freeze and defrost, it will most certainly all but destroy the texture. Sliced tomatoes tend to be mushier after freezing, while mozzarella can become more crumbly after a stint in the freezer.
The good news is that the mixture is fairly healthy and very easy to eat as a snack, or mixed into a salad, so you’re unlikely to have any leftovers that go to waste!
How do you make it?
To make Caprese bruschetta, first prepare all the ingredients. Slice the cherry tomatoes and mozarella balls into quarters and chiffonade (thinly slice) the basil. Mix in a bowl with olive oil and season well.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Thinly slice some crusty bread, such as baguette, and lay on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Once lightly golden, remove the bread from the oven and mound the Caprese mixture on top.
How do you chiffonade Basil
To chiffonade basil you simply need to roll the basil leaf along the length (so you have a shorter piece) and then slice into thin pieces with a sharp knife. You should be left with nice thin ribbons. You can roll and slice multiple pieces at once.
Ingredients
For this recipe I typically use:
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered – although you can use diced regular tomatoes. Deseed and pat dry before dicing.
- Mozarella balls – quartered. I typically use quartered Ciliegine which are the cherry-sized pieces of mozzarella. You could also use Bocconcini which are a little bigger, or even the large mozzarella balls, diced.
- Fresh large basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
You could add some chilli flakes for a little ‘kick’ or some chopped artichoke hearts. You could also use feta instead of mozzarella for a stronger, salty taste. Some balsamic glaze drizzled over the top is also an amazing addition
If you’re a fan of bruschetta, why not try this artichoke bruschetta. Or if you’re preparing a sharing plate you could also pair these with:
Products that work well for this recipe:
Bamboo Lotus Serving Board
Cole & Mason Mezzaluna / Herb Chopper
Wusthof Nine Piece Knife Block Set
Caprese Bruschetta
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
If you love crusty bruschetta, or you are a sucker for a classic Italian Caprese salad then you’ll love this Caprese bruschetta combination! Sweet diced Caprese on crunchy bread. Perfect for a snack, canape or starter!
The default recipe makes around 8 bruschettas.
Ingredients
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 8 mozzarella balls
- 8 basil leaves
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 loaf crusty bread (such as bruschetta)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Wash and quarter the cherry tomatoes and slice the mozzarella balls into quarters.
- Chiffonade the basil by rolling along the length of the leaf into a cigar shape and then slicing thinly.
- Mix the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in a bowl with the olive oil. Season to taste.
- Slice the bread into thin pieces and place on a baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Mound the Caprese mixture over the top and serve.
Notes
- To chiffonade basil first roll it longways into a cigar type shape. Then slice it with a sharp knife down the length into small pieces (see main recipe post for a photo)
- You can use diced tomatoes (deseed first) or large mozzarella balls chopped into small pieces instead
- Some fun additions you can include are diced artichoke hearts, chilli flakes, feta (instead of the mozzarella) or some diced peach
- Balsamic glaze is the perfect pairing for this recipe – drizzle over the top before serving
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Starter
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: starter, snack, italian, salad, canape, appetizer, vegetarian, tomato, basil, mozzarella
