Roasted Cherry Tomato & Garlic Bread Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze

Name: Roasted Cherry Tomato & Garlic Bread Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup of balsamic vinegar; 1 large red onion peeled and finely chopped; 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon of olive oil (plus extra for roasting the cherry tomatoes); 75 g butter; 4 cloves garlic; 1 loaf of sourdough sliced; 500 g cherry tomatoes halved; 1 bunch of basil; Salt and pepper for seasoning

September 5, 2018 by Nicolas 38 Comments

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I decided to take bruschetta a level up by cooking it and serving it hot. Beautifully toasted crusty garlic bread, topped with roasted tomatoes and a deliciously sweet, sour balsamic glaze. A quick, easy and exciting appetiser to wow just about anyone.

I am so happy that this idea of having a cooked version of bruschetta actually worked. And I am starting to wonder if I prefer this version of bruschetta more than the original.

When you get served a classic bruschetta in a restaurant, do you find yourself struggling to keep the tomato on the bread? I know I do, not that it’s the end of the world, but roasted cherry tomatoes stay on top of that sucker a whole lot easier. And with each bite, a cherry tomato will be like a little flavour bomb going off in your mouth.

Reducing balsamic vinegar

A balsamic reduction may not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, but it actually completely transforms the vinegar into a glaze. Meaning that the sugars intensify and texture goes thicker, which gives you a much better result when drizzling it over your bruschetta. Oh, and a balsamic reduction can also be used as an amazing garnish.

Normal balsamic vinegar that hasn’t been reduced is fine as well, but if you use too much it will just splash everywhere and it can even make the bread go soggy. Besides, the tomato and the onions are already acidic in this dish, and the sweet glaze can balance that out.

That being said, you don’t want to reduce the balsamic vinegar too much, I would say no more than 60%. Otherwise, it can go too sweet, but also keep in mind that as the balsamic reduction cools down, it will go even thicker. So don’t make the mistake of reducing the vinegar for too long because it doesn’t look thick enough right away.

If you want to test the thickness of the balsamic glaze, dip a spoon into it. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Storing the balsamic reduction in a squeeze bottle works perfectly. If you have any left over, you can keep it in the fridge for later use.

Why did I soak the red onion in vinegar?

This is a technique I love to use when preparing onions, especially when I add them to something like a fresh salad. Raw onion can be way too strong and in my opinion, be an interference more so than an added ingredient.

What the vinegar and a touch of salt do, is they draw out some of that strength and also make the onions go nice and sweet. Which goes perfectly with the roasted tomatoes and crusty bread. When you’re done soaking the onions and you’re ready to drain them, don’t forget to really squeeze that excess moisture out of the onions. This will help you achieve that really nice, sweet, softened onion.

Buy a good quality loaf of bread

Remember, this isn’t your everyday jam on toast, this is something a little extra special. And if the base of the dish is poor quality, well, it will show in the end result. I find that a good loaf of sourdough bread is perfect for bruschetta.

It has that perfect crunch in the crust, and that freshness in the middle. You can use a different kind of bread if you wish but again, use a decent quality loaf, not one of those everyday square loaves.

Oh, and if you want to be extra healthy, you can use something like brown bread or multi-grain bread.

You don’t have to use butter

You can use a healthier fat if you wish, just keep in mind that the flavour will be lighter and less rich than butter. If you use let’s say, grape-seed oil (one of my favourite versatile light healthy oils), you’ll end up with more of a garlic perfume essence instead of a rich buttery flavour. Both are great but just different.

This is also a good tip if you want to make the recipe vegan because if that is the case, changing the fat for the garlic bread is the only thing you need to do.

Now, let’s move on to the recipe, shall we! If you want to stay updated for a new recipe every week, feel free to subscribe, you will also receive a free ebook that features 10 amazing recipes. And if you were looking for more appetizers, then you may want to have a look at these Vietnamese Spring Rolls.

A dark contrast photo of roasted tomato bruschetta garnished with basil and balsamic glaze.

5 from 2 votes