Discover three easy and delicious bruschetta recipes: classic balsamic tomato, savory mushroom with Gruyere cheese, and a fresh Greek-inspired version with whipped feta. They’re all perfect for serving at parties as an appetizer and for effortless entertaining.
🌿GREEK BRUSCHETTA: https://www.forkinthekitchen.com/greek-bruschetta-with-whipped-feta/
🍅TOMATO BRUSCHETTA: https://www.forkinthekitchen.com/balsamic-bruschetta-on-crostini/
🍄MUSHROOM BRUSCHETTA: https://www.forkinthekitchen.com/mushroom-bruschetta-with-gruyere-and-thyme
⏱️JUMP TO:
0:00 Intro to Bruschettas
0:15 Greek Bruschetta
0:39 How to Make Crostini for Bruschetta
2:15 Greek Veggie Mixture
6:53 Whipped Feta
10:33 Tomato Balsamic Bruschetta
17:37 Mushroom Bruschetta
27:25 Bloopers
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Today we’re going to make three of
my favorite bruschetta recipes. We’ve got Greek bruschetta with whipped
feta, tomato balsamic bruschetta, and mushroom bruschetta. They’re so easy to make
and loaded with flavor. You’re going to love them. This Greek bruschetta has a layer
of light and creamy whipped feta topped with a Greek-inspired mixture of
juicy tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, along with fresh herbs. It’s all served on top
of a crisp crostini. Plus, this recipe is ready in just 20 minutes and it can be prepped ahead
of time. So, what do you say? Let’s get to it. The first thing we’re going to start
with is making the crostini. So, crostini just means little toast. I like to
slice the baguette a little bit on the bias, which just means a little diagonal, cause that gives us a little more surface
area to work with when we add our toppings. [Music] Okay, they’re all sliced up. So, I’m going to show
you my little cheater method for getting the olive oil on the slices of baguette so that they can
toast up really nicely. So, I just take my olive oil and do a little drizzle across. We don’t need
them drenched, just a light coating is fine. So, I am getting quite a bit on the pan as well, just
how it’s happening. But that’s okay because we’re just going to juge it around just a little
bit. And that gets each side lightly coated. You can move it around where there are globs of
olive oil. And this way, you don’t have to get a pastry brush dirty. Just do it quick and easy.
It is not anything that you need to fuss over. Once they’re all pretty well coated, again, they
do not need to be drenched. We’ll just sprinkle on a little pinch of salt. You don’t need too
much. Just a little goes a long way since we’ll be topping these with lots of deliciousness.
Now, we’re going to pop them in a 375° oven for about 12 to 14 minutes and flip them halfway
through until they’re golden brown and crispy. To make the veggie mixture that’s going
to go on top of our Greek bruschetta, we are going to start with a cup
and a half of diced cucumber. [Music] I like using an English cucumber because
they are pretty seedless and they don’t have any of that bitter flavor that
sometimes you can get with cucumbers. Then we’re going to slice a cup and a half of
cherry or grape tomatoes. I recommend using a serrated knife because it helps slice
through the skin without smooshing them. I also like to use cherry or grape
tomatoes because if you use a whole tomato, it’s can sometimes be a little too
juicy for the bruschetta mixture. So, we’re using a red onion for this recipe
because it adds like a really bright punch. If you’re not a fan of raw red onion, I would
recommend either soaking it in a little bit of water to kind of temper out the bite that
comes from red onions, or you can go ahead and dice up a shallot, which will be a more mild, a
little bit sweeter onion flavor to the mixture. [Music] So, we’re using a mixture of fresh and
dried herbs for this recipe. Starting with 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon
of fresh mint, which really like brightens it up, along with fresh basil, which I love basil.
Then we also have dried oregano. Now, why are we using dried oregano and not fresh? Well,
quite frankly, because I think dried oregano is a lot more accessible for people than getting fresh
oregano. If you want to use fresh oregano, please do. I would recommend doubling the amount, since
dried herbs are more potent than fresh herbs since they’re more concentrated, you want to double if
you’re going from dried to fresh or have it. So, if you want to use dried herbs in this recipe, be
sure you have the amounts of these fresh herbs. So, chop the herbs just fine enough so that
they will blend into the bruschetta mixture. So, we’ll add the fresh herbs and then we’ll
add the dried oregano and red pepper flakes, which gives it a nice little kick. Now, we
need to also add fresh garlic. And you can mince this by hand, but my favorite tool to use
like ever. I use it in pretty much every recipe, is my garlic press. It is the best one out there.
Trust me on this. You’ll have to try it. Okay, so you can take the whole garlic clove. Stick
it in. You don’t have to remove the paper, which makes it so easy. Go ahead and press it
in. It’s perfectly minced, super fine. I use a knife to just cut it off. And then this one comes
with a special tool to just take the paper out. I will link this below if you need to get yourself
one. We’re using two to three garlic cloves. This can really depend on your preferences, though. I
absolutely love garlic, so I would lean towards three, but it also just depends on the size of
your cloves. Okay. And to bring it all together, we’re going to add about 2 tablespoons
of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, which really brightens it up, and then we’ll do
a pinch of salt. And you can obviously do that to taste as well. And then we will mix it all up and
set this aside while we go make our whipped feta. [Music] To make the whipped feta, you definitely want
to use a food processor. It will make the spread super smooth, light, and creamy. So, we’re
going to start with a block of feta cheese. We’ll have 8 ounces. It breaks apart really easily. I
like to just break it apart and put it in. So, this makes sure that it just it’s easier
for it to get all mixed up in there. So, we’ve got our feta. We’re going to add a little
lemon zest to keep things bright. I like to use a microplane here and just lightly press it
along the edge. Don’t press too hard because if you get that white pith underneath, it can
be bitter sometimes. So, don’t press too hard. Just get that lemon zest, the yellow part off of
there. Tap it. It likes to get stuck underneath. We’re going to add some Greek yogurt. Add that
in. Some more garlic. I told you we love garlic for this recipe. So, two cloves can just go in
cuz the food processor will smooth them out. [food processor whirring] You might need to scrape down the sides as
it goes to make sure it all gets blended up. Okay. And I’m going to add one tablespoon
of milk to start to kind of thin things out and keep it going. While we’re
at it, little scrape of the sides. Okay, let’s check it out. There we go. It’s nice and smooth, creamy, and
ready to go on the crostini. Now that we have our Greek bruschetta topping ready, our whipped
feta, and our crostini, it’s time to assemble. So, grab your crostini, put a dollop of whipped feta
on top. You can spread it across. If you don’t want to assemble the crostini, this recipe is also
great served as a dip. Just put the whipped feta in a bowl, top it with the veggies, and let your
guests make their own crostini or just dip away. [Music] There we have it. Now
it’s time to dig in and enjoy. M. It’s so perfect. It has everything. The
crunchy crostini, the creamy whipped feta, and then that veggie mixture is bright and fresh
but tangy and bitey from that red onion. Oh, it’s just got… it’s everything. It’s so perfect. We are making my tomato balsamic bruschetta
on crostini. It is loved by readers. It’s perfect to bring to gatherings
because it’s naturally vegan, but it’s so flavorful that everybody’s
going to love it. Let’s get started. Let’s make the crostini. I’ve got a massive
baguette here. We’re going to slice it up. All right, let’s get this out of the way. [Music] Now, we’ll pop them in the oven to get
crispy on each side. So, we’ll flip them about halfway through. [Music] For the tomato
mixture, we’ve got some cherry tomatoes here. You could also use grape if it’s what you can
find. Now, the key with the tomatoes. Okay, hang on. What do I want to say? Now, using cherry
tomatoes reduces the juiciness that’s going to be in the mixture. If you have extra juicy tomatoes,
I’d recommend either just taking out that like mushy seedy part so that your mixture isn’t
too juicy or placing the chopped tomatoes over a strainer and that will help that excess liquid
drain out so that the tomato mixture isn’t overly wet. Dice it up in a small dice and use a serrated
knife cuz that will really cut through the skin of the tomato without smashing it. Okay. And then
we’ll continue until we have about two cups. This is a really forgiving recipe, so you can
absolutely, you know, adjust it as needed. [Music] Next up, we’re going to chop the shallot.
You’ll need about a tablespoon, but again, this recipe is super forgiving. So, add
as much or as little as you like. And just make sure it’s really finely diced so that it
incorporates really well into the tomatoes. All right, it’s getting to me. Okay, add the shallot to the tomatoes
and then go wipe your eyes. All right, I’ll be back. All right, I’m recovered from the
shallot. So, now it’s time for garlic. Add about three garlic cloves to this recipe. You know, I
do love my garlic press, but I’m going to finely chop them mostly cuz my garlic press is dirty. Um,
now this recipe is my mom’s technically. She would make this all the time growing up for parties
and she’s a huge fan of flavor. It’s probably where I get it. Loves garlic. So, yeah, there’s
three raw garlic bulbs in this bruschetta. Um, but I think that’s what makes it super
freaking delicious. So, chop it pretty fine. So now we’re going to add it in as well. And now
for the basil. So I like to do about a half cup. Yes, this basil is looking a little sad. It
didn’t quite fair so well in my cup of water, but that’s okay because we are just going to slice
it up and no one will be able to tell. Now to cut it into really fine strips, an easy way to do it
is to pile the basil all together. So, I’ll do this a couple times since I have so much. Roll it
up as well as you can. And then thinly slice it. Voila. All right. Now, the thing that is going to
set your bruschetta apart from all the others is a super high-quality balsamic vinegar. Trust me,
don’t buy the stuff at the grocery store. Not to sound pretentious, but it actually matters
here because it adds the most flavor. So, I recommend an aged balsamic. Like, this one is
an 18 year an 18year-old. Sounds kind of weird, I know. Um, even like a 25-year-old aged
balsamic. It’s truly like what’s going to take your bruschetta over the top. So, we’ll add
about 2 tablespoons. It should be nice and thick and like almost syrupy. And then on a similar
note, a high-quality olive oil will also just really make sure that it’s all really great.
And then a little salt, naturally. And we’ll stir it up. Get everything soaked together. Oh,
it’s so pretty. Smells so good, too. Okay, so I would recommend taking a little taste test. Just
grab a tomato. And obviously, the longer it sits, the more the flavor develops. It’s great. It just
needs a little more salt. But don’t let it sit too long because those tomatoes are going to get
juicy and then it’s going to get really liquidy. Okay. All right. Let’s top the crostini. [Music] [Music] And then if you want to take a little drizzle
of that balsamic that’s pooling at the bottom, it’ll soak into the bread.
It’s just so good. My gosh, I cannot wait to dig in. This is seriously one
of my favorite recipes and it smells so good. M. Mhm. [Music] This is a lot of chewing. It’s
perfection. The bright tomatoes, all that basil, that high-quality balsamic paired with the punchy
shallot and garlic. While it’s the perfect summer appetizer, it’s also great around the holidays.
There’s really no wrong time to make it. So good. This is my go-to appetizer for when the weather
turns chilly. It’s got Gruyere cheese on this crispy crostini. It’s hearty. It’s savory. It’s
going to be an appetizer that everybody loves. Plus, it’s pretty darn easy to make, too.
So, let’s get started. I rinse the mushrooms really quick. And then I like to just take
a paper towel and wipe off any excess dirt. It does take a few more minutes,
but I find that it’s worth it. Now that they’re clean, let’s chop them. So,
think about bruschetta. They’re going to go on top of those crostini. They are going to cook down,
though. We still want kind of smaller bite-sized pieces. If you want to make it super quick, you
could throw them in a food processor and chop them a few times, but I’m going to do it by hand
today. I like to chop it in half and then make little slices and then do it crossways. So, it’s
just a fine dice. It does not have to be exact. Next, it’s time to chop our shallots. So, I’ve
got three here. You’ll want about a cup total. The first thing I like to do with shallots is
cut off the top and the root end of it. And then really gently take my knife and cut through
the paper. So, then I can just peel it off. And then we can chop this. So, I cut it in half
to make a flat surface. And then I make planks. And then I can finally dice it. And my
eyes are very much watering. Oh my gosh, why are they so bad? Some onion goggles. [Music] [Music] Okay, I’m going to go take care of
myself. The final piece of prep is we’re going to chop some fresh thyme,
which adds such a good flavor. Thyme and mushrooms together is one of my
favorite combinations. Smells so good. I haven’t used time in a long in a
long time. [Music] Give it a good chop. [Music] Time to shred our Gruyere cheese. I definitely
recommend shredding it by hand because it melts so much better when you do. There’s no anti-caking
agents on it, so it just is so beautiful. [Music] All right, got every last bit. Toss the rind
and we’ll set this aside to put on our crostini. Smells cheesy. [Music] I mean, thank you. [Music]
Batters up. Now, for the crostini, we have a massive baguette. Yours does not have to be this
large. You’ll want about 18 to 20 slices. [Music] Drizzle again. [Music] Now, you can do a sprinkle of salt and pepper if
you really like, but because the Gruyere cheese is salty, we’re going to have our mushroom
topping, I’m just going to let them toast up just like this. So, we’ll put them in the
oven for a few minutes to get their initial golden brownness before we add the cheese. Now,
for the mushroom mixture. If you’ve made any of my mushroom recipes before, then you know most
of the time I love cooking mushrooms in a dry skillet to start. So that’s exactly what we’re
going to do here. It makes sure that all the water evaporates out of the mushrooms so then
they can soak up all the yummy flavor we’re adding. So spread them in an even layer the pans
over about medium, medium high heat. And as they begin to cook, you’ll start to hear them sizzle
and you’ll see all that water come up. Come up. That water is bubbling out now. So, it’s about
time we can give it a stir and they’ll come up pretty easily here. And then I’ll also add a
pinch of salt which will encourage more of that water to come out. And of course, it starts
to layer in that flavor. Even layer again. We’ll let it keep doing its thing. The water’s all
evaporated out. So, now let’s melt in the butter. All right, the butter’s melted.
So, now it’s time for the shallot. And we’ll also do another pinch of salt and red
pepper flakes. They add a really nice flavor. If you don’t like them, you can leave them out. And
then a little freshly ground black pepper, too. Now, we’ll let it sauté for a few minutes to get
those shallots nice and soft and so flavorful. [Music] Now we’ll press in the garlic. You could
chop the garlic as well, like when you’re chopping everything else. But if you’ve been around
here, you know I love my garlic press. So, I’m going to keep things easy and just
squeeze it on in. [Music] Okay, the last Oh, now we’ll let that garlic cook down for a few
minutes. Oh, it’s already smelling so good. The final step is we’re going to add
the fresh thyme. I like to add it just at the very end and let it cook for only
a minute so it stays really vibrant. Since the mushrooms are really hearty and
savory, this adds a nice brightness. The crostini are nice and crisp. So the final
step is to take that cheese and we’re going to get it all nice and melty. So place a little
dollop on each crostini as well as you can. This worked out pretty well. So now we’re
just going to stick them under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Again, just to get
that cheese super nice and melty. Don’t take your eyes off them, though, because you don’t
want them to burn. This is what dreams are made of. Crispy bread and melty cheese.
But just wait, it’s time to top them now. So, just grab a spoon and all you’ve got to do
is just gently so they don’t fall everywhere. Top with our mushroom mixture. Wish you could
smell this. Just smells so good. [Music] You could garnish with a little
chopped parsley, more fresh thyme, but I like to add just a little microgreens cause
they feel extra special and they’re gorgeous. Plus, their freshness really balances out
all the savoriness. [Music] All right, I’ve got to dig in. So cute. Let’s try it. [Music] Okay, first off, the crunchy crostini and the
melty cheese. Perfection. And that mushroom mixture. It’s savory, it’s hearty, and it’s
so flavorful. I’ve also served the mushroom mixture as a dip in itself and just used little
crostini or crackers as a dip for parties. This is the perfect appetizer to take on Thanksgiving
or Christmas because it is so savory and it has all those warm wintry fall flavors in it thanks
to the fresh thyme. Really, it’s just so good. Find all these recipes at forkinthekitchen.com.
I’ve linked them below for you, and I will see you back here next week for another
meatless meal that everyone will love. Like I’m like great and then I’m like
whoa. I mean, I don’t think I can. I lost
Dining and Cooking