Best Tomato & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Tomato & Goat Cheese Bruschetta is the perfect appetizer recipe! Made with fresh roma tomatoes, creamy & tangy goat cheese, and crunchy ciabatta bread … this dish is light, easy, and bursting with flavor. Serve at your next summer dinner party for a total crowd pleaser!
Looking for a similar recipe? Check out my Hasselback Caprese Salad or Whipped Ricotta Crostini!
Fresh, Flavorful, & Easy Appetizer Recipe
This delicious appetizer is inspired by one of my favorite dishes at a local restaurant! I had had bruschetta before tasting it, but never one with goat cheese on top. And boy is it a game changer!
Tomato Bruschetta with goat cheese is a fresh and simple recipe that is sure to impress absolutely anyone who tries it. It is one of my best recipes yet! Truly a flavor explosion.
Full of fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, it is the perfect recipe for summer!
If you are on a tomato bruschetta kick, your next stop has to be my Bruschetta Pasta Salad. It combines the fresh and delicious tomato topping used here with the ultimate carb … pasta!
Ingredients
Tomato bruschetta with goat cheese is made with all fresh and simple ingredients! The most important being thick crusty bread, fresh roma & heirloom tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese.
With a few more flavorful additions they come together to make the best bruschetta I’ve ever had!
Ingredient Notes
- Ciabatta: The choice of bread for this recipe was ciabatta! I think it works excellently and is the best bread for the job in my opinion. You’ll need 1/2 a large loaf or 1 smaller one.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the star of any bruschetta. I used a combination of 5 roma or plum tomatoes and 1 heirloom tomato. It was perfect!
- Goat Cheese: The addition of tangy, soft goat cheese to this easy appetizer recipe is simply incredible. It truly adds so much flavor! Use 2 oz or however much you’d like.
- Parmesan Cheese: When it comes to cheese, the more is merrier! That’s why 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese is also added to the tomato mixture here.
- Onion & Garlic: Onion and garlic add the best flavor. You’ll need 1/2 yellow onion and 3 fresh garlic cloves.
- Olive Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is used in multiple places in this recipe! You’ll mix tomatoes with it and add it to the bread to crisp up beautifully. 5 tbsp is just the right amount.
- Balsamic Vinegar: To really bring the tomato mixture to life, 1 tbsp of high quality balsamic vinegar is added.
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil is a non negotiable here! Truly a must have. Add 2 tbsp to the bruschetta mixture and more on top for a garnish.
- Salt & Pepper: Lastly, add salt and black pepper to taste.
Looking for more tasty goat cheese recipe? Head to my Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipe next!
Substitutions & Additions
This recipe is so delicious as is that I do recommend making it exactly as instructed!
But there are a few ingredient substitutions or additions you can make to this tomato goat cheese bruschetta recipe for it to meet your personal preferences or needs!
Onion: A very simple swap is replacing the yellow onion with red onions. Both would work!
Goat Cheese: If you are not a goat cheese fan, but still want to make this bruschetta simply leave it out. You can also add extra parmesan on top if you’d like.
Balsamic Glaze: A drizzle of balsamic glaze would be an incredibly tasty addition.
How To Make This Recipe
This goat cheese appetizer is quite easy to make!
The most work comes from chopping the fresh tomatoes. Then you simple mix & marinate the tomato mixture, toast the bread, and assemble.
The result is incredibly beautiful and delicious bites!
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Start by preparing the tomatoes. Remove the seeds and chop into small even pieces.
Step 2: Next add the chopped tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a large bowl. Combine.
Step 3: Then add in the fresh basil, parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil (3 tbsp), and balsamic vinegar. Combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate in the refrigerator while you toast the bread.
Step 4: Next slice the ciabatta loaf into about 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread a bit of olive oil on the top of each slice (2 tbsp total). Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 7 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the bread from the oven. Add about 2 spoonfuls of the tomato mixture to each slice of toasted bread. Shred the goat cheese on top of each slice of bruschetta. Add more fresh basil as well.
Step 6: Serve & enjoy!
Expert Tips
When toasting the ciabatta in the oven, watch very closely. The bread can go from perfectly browned and golden to burnt in the blink of an eye!
Freeze the goat cheese for a few minutes before shredding on top of the bruschetta. Since goat cheese can be a rather soft and creamy cheese this makes shredding it much easier.
Use high quality balsamic vinegar for the best taste!
Take a little extra time to remove the seeds from the tomatoes. The seeds can taste funny and make your bruschetta more soggy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste!
Frequently Asked Questions
Honestly, I would say bruschetta is served as a mix of hot and cold!
The toasted bread fresh from the oven is warm, but the tomato mixture is marinated in the fridge for a bit, so it is cold. When they come together, the warm bread and cold topping go so well together!
Traditional bruschetta in Italy is made from a bread called Pagnotta. But since that is not readily available in the US, the next best choice is ciabatta!
However you could also french bread, baguette slices, or even sourdough if you’d like.
Roma, heirloom, or beefsteak all make a good bruschetta. Cherry tomatoes are also a great option!
It is best to prepare this recipe right before serving! If prepared and assembled ahead of time the bread will become soggy and it simply won’t be as fresh.
You could however prep the tomato mixture slightly beforehand and let it marinate. About 30 minutes – 1 hour!
Bruschetta works perfectly as a party appetizer recipe or even a summer dinner side dish!
Serve with some Italian recipes like pesto chicken, mozzarella meatballs, burrata pasta, or herb crusted salmon.
Unfortunately, once bruschetta is fully made and assembled it can’t really be stored.
Love this recipe? Check out more delicious appetizer recipes…
Burrata Caprese Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Air Fried Ravioli
Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Honey & Lemon
Cheesy Bacon Corn Dip
Pesto Flatbread Pizzas
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Healthy French Onion Dip
Connect with me!
If you make this goat cheese and tomato bruschetta recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.
Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.
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Tomato & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Tomato & Goat Cheese Bruschetta is the perfect appetizer recipe! Made with fresh roma tomatoes, creamy & tangy goat cheese, and crunchy ciabatta bread … this dish is light, easy, and bursting with flavor. Serve at your next summer dinner party for a total crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread, (or 1/2 large loaf)
- 5 plum tomatoes
- 1 heirloom tomato
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, (separated)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, high quality
- 2 oz goat cheese
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing the tomatoes. Remove the seeds and chop into small even pieces.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a large bowl. Combine.
- Then add in the fresh basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil (3 tbsp), and balsamic vinegar. Combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let sit in the refrigerator while you toast the bread.
- Next slice the ciabatta loaf into about 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread the remaining olive oil (2 tbsp) on the tops of each slice. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 7 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven. Add about 2 spoonfuls of the tomato mixture to each slice of toasted bread.
- Shred the goat cheese on top of each slice of bruschetta. Add more fresh basil as well.
- Serve & enjoy!
Keywords: goat cheese bruschetta, tomato bruschetta, tomato goat cheese bruschetta, tomato and goat cheese bruschetta, tomato basil goat cheese bruschetta, goat cheese appetizer
This is so delicious! It tastes so fresh and wholesome, I make this all the time!
★★★★★
Thanks Adrianna! I’m so glad you enjoy it!