This vegan bruschetta recipe is made with Roma tomatoes, basil, garlic and onion for plenty of flavor. It is, without a doubt, my favorite appetizer ever! The combination of flavors and fresh ingredients is simple and amazing.
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Best Tomatoes for Bruschetta
While bruschetta can be made with any type of tomato, in my experience, Roma tomatoes are the best variety.
Roma tomatoes tend to have fewer seeds compared to other varieties which helps make bruschetta less watery. Since I remove the seeds when making bruschetta, there’s also less waste when using Roma tomatoes.
How to Prep Roma Tomatoes for Bruschetta
To prep Roma tomatoes for bruschetta you’ll need to:
- Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half
- Remove any hard stem pieces
- Scoop out the tomato seeds
- Dice the tomato into small pieces
- Toss the tomato with a bit of salt and let sit for 10 minutes (this helps draw excess moisture from the tomato, for a less watery bruschetta texture)
- Place the tomato in a mesh strainer to drain away excess water
- Add the remaining ingredients to finish the bruschetta
This method of prepping tomatoes results in the best flavor and texture for your bruschetta. If you’ve ever had watery bruschetta, following these steps should fix the issue.
Is Bruschetta Vegan?
If you’re vegan it’s often best to question whether a mixed dish like bruschetta is appropriate to eat. Most classic bruschetta recipes are vegan as they are made with vegetables and some olive oil. However, there are lots of common ingredients added to bruschetta that result in the final product not being vegan.
Various cheeses are often added to bruschetta. I’ve also commonly seen many restaurants use butter or garlic butter on the bread they serve bruschetta on. You can always ask your server for clarification at a restaurant.
Since bruschetta is simple to make, I like to whip up a batch of delicious vegan bruschetta so I know for sure all the ingredients are going to work for me!
Make Gluten Free Bruschetta
Bruschetta itself is typically gluten free as it’s traditionally made with vegetables and olive oil. The more challenging aspect of making gluten free bruschetta is selecting a nice gluten free baguette or bread to toss the bruschetta onto.
Gluten free breads have come a long way in recent years so hopefully finding a tasty gluten free baguette isn’t too challenging. You can also try learning how to make your own gluten free bread!
See below for some other tasty ways to serve bruschetta, like topping a tasty batch of mac and cheese (made with gluten free pasta) with bruschetta before baking the pasta!
Vegan Bruschetta Topping Ideas
The classic bruschetta recipe below is perfectly delicious as-is but there’s so many ways to jazz it up by adding in extra ingredients. This list is for ingredients to add to the bruschetta itself but I’ve also put together a list of different ways to prepare/ serve bruschetta below!
Here’s some delicious vegan bruschetta add-ins:
- Canned artichoke
- Diced peaches
- Sliced olives
- Vegan feta cheese
- Avocado
- Pickled or roasted beets
- Vegan bacon bits
- Grilled eggplant or zucchini
- Vegan goat cheese crumbles
- Lentils (for a boost of fibre and plant-based protein!)
- Diced mango
- Chopped bell peppers
- Cooked peas
There’s plenty of fun ways to jazz up a classic bruschetta!
How to Serve Bruschetta
Bruschetta is often served on thinly sliced baguette that has been baked until it’s crispy and delicious. I always bake bruschetta on the baguette slices to partially cook the onion and garlic for a milder flavor.
However, there’s plenty of fun and creative ways to serve bruschetta including:
- Make bruschetta mac and cheese (this vegan recipe is my all-time favorite!!)
- Create a bruschetta flatbread pizza
- With a drizzle of balsamic reduction over the top of your baguette crisps
- As a dip for crackers, pita bread, chips etc.
- Stirred into cooked rice for a fun side dish
- As the top layer in your next vegan lasagna
- In a veggie and hummus wrap for a boost of fresh flavor
- On top of grilled eggplant or zucchini for some extra veggies
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. This is a great dish to have around for a delicious burst of fresh flavor in so many different dishes!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you make it and share your creations on social media, be sure to tag me @lettucevegout because I’d love to see what you make!
Vegan Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Basil
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 3 C Roma tomato , diced, seeds removed
- ½ C fresh basil , chopped
- ¼ C onion , finely diced (red onion is preferable)
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large baguette , thinly sliced (gluten free if required)
Instructions
- Wash the Roma tomatoes and slice them in half. Remove any hard stem pieces. Scoop out the tomato seeds then finely dice the tomato. Toss the tomato with 1/2 tsp salt and place into a mesh strainer over a bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes (while prepping other ingredients). This allows excess water to drain from the tomatoes to prevent the bruschetta from being watery.
- While the tomatoes sit, finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and chop the basil. Add these ingredients to a large bowl along with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Once the tomatoes have sat for at least 10 minutes, stir them around in the mesh strainer to help additional water drain away then toss the tomatoes into the bowl with the onion, garlic and basil.
- Thinly slice the baguette and place onto a parchment (or silicone baking mat) covered baking tray. Carefully scoop 2-3 tbsp of bruschetta mixture onto each baguette slice (depends on how large the baguette slices are).
- Bake at 350 °F for 12-15 minutes, until the baguette is crisp on the bottom.
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This is an updated post: Original post date October 2016.
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