Make Our Warm Bruschetta With Juicy Tomatoes and Salty Feta Any Time You Need a Quick Appetizer (2024)

Our easy bruschetta recipe calls for grape tomatoes, meaning you can make it year round rather than waiting for peak-tomato season. To pull it together, you’ll combine the juicy tomatoes with feta, olive oil, and garlic and let them soften in the oven while slices of baguette toast under the broiler—a convenient step that makes this recipe extra easy on the cook. To serve, simply spoon the tomato mixture onto the bread, top with more cheese, and sprinkle with fresh basil. Salty and sweet with just the right amount of crunch, it’s a delicious snack or starter you can whip up anytime.

Ingredients for Warm Bruschetta

Grape tomatoes: The beauty of using petite grape tomatoes in this recipe is that they're available all year round and are pretty consistently ripe and sweet (as opposed to other types of tomatoes which typically aren't as fragrant or juicy outside of summer). You can swap in cherry tomatoes instead, or another petite tomato variety such as campari. If you're making this recipe in peak-tomato season, feel free to use whichever tomatoes are the ripest.

Feta cheese: While traditional bruschetta doesn't usually call for cheese, we love the addition of salty, crumbled feta in this recipe. You'll warm half of it in the oven with the tomatoes, which will soften without fully melting and take on a lovely texture. The remaining cheese will be sprinkled on just before serving.

Garlic: Three cloves of garlic add a zesty bite to the topping. Mince the cloves finely to avoid large chunks of garlic from ending up in the tomato mixture—a garlic press makes quick work of this step, but you can also give the cloves a quick chop, then use the flat side of your knife to mash them into a fine paste.

Olive oil: A generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil adds buttery richness to the bruschetta topping. We do not recommend using light olive oil or a neutral oil like grapeseed or canola in it's place.

Baguette: Slicing a baguette creates perfect two-bite pieces of bruschetta, but if you can't find it, you can swap in sliced ciabatta or sourdough bread instead. Shoot for slices that are one-quarter inch thick and two to three inches long for easy eating.

Basil leaves: Tearing—rather than slicing—the basil leaves keeps them from bruising and turning a blackish-brown. Store basil at room temperature to keep it at its freshest.

Make Ahead

You can halve the tomatoes and crumble the feta up to one day ahead of time, but wait to toss them with the remaining ingredients until you're ready to pop them in the oven; otherwise, the sugar will draw the juices out of the tomatoes, affecting their texture.

1. Preheat oven; make tomato mixture:

   Preheat oven to 400°F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine tomatoes, 3/4 cup feta, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and sugar. Season with pepper.

   

2. Arrange and oil baguette slices; cook bread and tomato mixture:

   On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange baguette slices in a single layer; brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Place bread on top rack and tomato mixture on bottom rack. Cook until bread is toasted and tomatoes have softened, 10 to 12 minutes.

   

3. Build bruschetta:

   Top bread with tomato mixture, 3/4 cup feta, and basil.

   

4. Drizzle with oil; season:

   Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.

   

Storage

Refrigerate leftover tomato-feta mixture for up to three days in an airtight container. Untopped toasted baguette slices can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Variations

• Use a mix of yellow and red tomatoes for an even more colorful mixture.
• For a meltier topping, swap out the feta for goat cheese.
• Instead of basil, you can top the bruschetta with other herbs like minced chives, oregano, or thyme.
  

To Make the Bruschetta on the Grill

On a gas grill, heat half of the burners to medium-low and leave the other side off. Combine the tomato mixture in a bowl, then transfer it to piece of foil and fold up the sides to make a packet. Toast the bread on the hot side of the grill and place the tomatoes on the cool side. Cover and cook until the bread is toasted and the tomato mixture is warmed through.

6 More Grape Tomato Recipes to Try:

• Simple Roasted Grape Tomatoes
• Easy Chicken Thighs With Cherry Tomatoes and Pernod
• Drunken Mussels With Chorizo and White Beans
• Tricolor-Salad Pizza
• Pasta Salad With Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Chickpeas
• No-Knead Tomato Focaccia

This tasty appetizer recipe comes from Rosemary Salmon of Deptford, New Jersey.