Strawberry Bruschetta

This Strawberry Bruschetta is a strawberry twist on the classic tomato bruschetta we all know and love. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and it's the perfect appetizer for summer dinner parties or BBQs during strawberry season!

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients
• Variations and Substitutions
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storing
• FAQs
• Similar Strawberry Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

The perfect summer appetizer - Nothing beats the flavor of strawberries during late spring and early summer! Combine them with some balsamic and creamy goat cheese and you got the perfect spring and summer appetizer!

Light and refreshing - The sweet strawberries go perfectly with the creamy goat cheese and tart balsamic. It's fresh, light, and good for you!

Quick and easy - This is one of those appetizers you can easily whip up last minute. The only cooking you need to do is toasting the baguette! Then just chop up your strawberries and mix them with fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Top your toasted baguette slices with soft goat cheese or cream cheese, the strawberries, and voila, your appetizer is ready!

Versatile - You can make this bruschetta gluten-free by using gluten-free bread or a baguette or you can make it dairy-free by using vegan cream cheese!

Ingredients

• Baguette - My go-to is a sourdough French baguette (the one with the pointy ends). It toasts nicely and it's perfect for bruschetta or crostini.
• Soft goat cheese - Plain creamy spreadable goat cheese is what you're looking for here. They usually come in small 100-150g logs. You can also use regular cream cheese if you prefer.
• Strawberries - The best strawberries will be those dark red, extra sweet, strawberries you can get while they're in season during spring and summer!
• Fresh basil - Fresh basil is a must in any tomato or strawberry bruschetta. It may sound like a strange combination but just trust me, it's so good!
• Balsamic vinegar - The tart and sweet flavor of balsamic goes really well with strawberries. If you've never had it, I highly recommend you give it a try!
• Balsamic glaze - The finished bruschetta is drizzled with balsamic glaze. Balsamic glaze also called balsamic reduction is cooked-down balsamic vinegar with cane sugar or other sweeteners which turns it into a dark sticky sweet sauce with a deep balsamic flavor and much less tartness. It can be found in most grocery stores.

Variations and Substitutions

• Tomatoes - If you want to make it more interesting, you can mix some finely diced tomatoes into the strawberries to bring back the classic tomato bruschetta flavor into the mix.
• Fresh mint - If you don't have basil, you can also use fresh mint. A small amount goes a long way, you'll need less than basil. Or you can combine both fresh basil and mint.
• Ricotta cheese - This bruschetta would also be delicious with ricotta instead of goat cheese!
• Cream cheese - If you don't like goat cheese, you can use regular plain cream cheese instead. You can use practically any soft cheese for this bruschetta.
• Vegan and gluten-free - Use gluten-free bread or dairy-free cheese to make the bruschetta vegan.
• Serve it on bread - You can serve this as a light lunch or as a side with a salad. Just toast a slice of sourdough bread instead of small slices of a baguette and top it with the creamy cheese and strawberry mixture!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
2. Slice the baguette into thick slices and lay them out  in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle or spray with cooking oil and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

4. While the baguette is toasting, prepare the strawberries.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the chopped strawberries, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and chopped fresh basil. I recommend chopping basil by putting all leaves on top of each other, rolling them up, and slicing them into thin strips.

6. Spread soft goat cheese on the toasted baguette and top with the strawberry mixture.
7. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and flaky sea salt.
8. Garnish with more basil leaves if desired and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

Serve the bruschetta immediately after you top the toasted bread with the goat cheese and strawberries. It may lose its crispiness if it sits for too long.

You can serve the appetizer with just the bread, goat cheese, and tomato mixture but I highly recommend drizzling it with balsamic glaze for added flavor and sprinkling with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. For garnish, you can also add small fresh basil leaves on top.

Storing

The finished bruschetta is best enjoyed right away. Once you toast the baguette, it will turn very hard if it sits around too long. Adding the cheese and strawberries would make it soggy if you made the bruschetta ahead.

You can store the strawberries for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. They will release more juice and become more mushy the longer they sit.

FAQs

Similar Strawberry Recipes

Below are four recipes with strawberries that have some unexpected flavors. Have you ever had a mojito with strawberries and basil? It's so good! I even made it into a lemonade so the whole family can enjoy it! The salad is the perfect side for a summer BBQ and the matcha latte is always a hit at brunch. If you want to see more appetizer ideas, head over to the Appetizers category.

• Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
• Strawberry Basil Lemonade
• Strawberry Basil Mojito
• Iced Strawberry Oat Matcha Latte

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