When I was growing up Chicken Soup for the [insert your age/sex/current life battle here] Soul was super popular. Pregnant? Guess what you got 10 of at your shower? Turning 13? That’s right, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Now, there’s nothing better than a homemade chicken soup on a cold, rainy, or otherwise less-than-spectacular day. Throw in some grilled cheese and I’m totally there. HOWEVER, as you will come to know, I am not a normal person when it comes to comfort foods. I love nothing more than fresh, vibrant, flavorful fruits and veggies.
But who wants a salad every day? I mean… I totally do, but you probably don’t. And let’s face it- humans require some type of complex carbohydrates to function. So, I say to you, BRUSCHETTA! No, I’m not getting married. We’re not going to a black tie event, nor are we standing around cocktail tables with glasses of champagne (although we can absolutely make that a reality). I’m talking weekend lunch, after school snack, at 9 p.m. just because you want to Bruschetta. You’ve never known how easy this lavish sounding appetizer is to create.
Bruschetta requires less ingredients than your pasta night salad. Cherry tomatoes are my favorite because you can either half or quarter them, either way they are pretty easy to slice up quickly. You can use either plum or roma as well (you’ll want a variety with as little seeds and water content as possible). I had sweet onions on hand, but red onions also work great. Fresh garlic is a necessity; minced garlic preserved in oil does not do well in this super fresh mixture. Pluck some Basil leaves from the plant in your kitchen – oh… you don’t have one?! You need to go get one. Seriously. Go to the store right now and grab a Basil plant from the produce section. I’ll wait.
Before you start chopping preheat the oven to 250 F to toast the bread. While that is heating up dice the tomatoes into whatever size pieces you prefer. I like to keep them pretty chunky so they don’t become soggy or lose their structure. Dice the onions, mince the garlic, and add them all together. The easiest way to cut the Basil is to layer the leaves on top of one another, roll them up like a cigar and slice them the short way. Now, my friends, you have just created a chiffonade. You’re so fancy! Mix everything together with a pinch of salt and refrigerate while you prepare the bread.
You can use any type of bread for this. Literally anything. You can use white sandwich bread. I wouldn’t, but you can. Traditionally speaking, you would use a baguette. My grocery store happened to be out of them, so I grabbed a loaf of Italian bread. ANYTHING. I promise. Cut the bread into slices and drizzle some olive oil over the top of one side. I also add some salt and pepper, but I worship spices. Try it on a few if you’re not a fellow salt fanatic. Start with toasting them for five minutes and see how crispy the tops are. They need to be quite stiff without being burnt to hold the juicy goodness your about to bestow upon them. If they could use some more time put them back in for only a minute or two at a time – they can burn easily.
Once they are crisped up, remove the tomato salsa-esque mixture from the refrigerator and spoon it on top of each slice of bread. I add a *tad* bit more salt and pepper and GO. TO. TOWN.
I know. You’re welcome.
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Cook time:
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Serves: 6-8
- 1 Loaf of Bread (French, Italian, Baguette all work well)
- 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 Medium Sweet (or Red) Onion, diced
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. Basil Chiffonade
- Olive Oil
- Preheat the oven to 250 F
- Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil to a bowl. Season with salt to taste and mix well before placing the bowl in the refrigerator
- Slice the bread and drizzle olive oil on each piece. Season the bread with salt and pepper before placing them on a baking sheet in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until toasted
- Top the toasted bread with the bruschetta, season with salt and pepper, and add a Basil leaf for garnish