This Goat cheese Bruschetta recipe with tomatoes and basil is a crowd-pleaser and the perfect appetizer for when you want to get something on the table quickly. It comes together in about 20 minutes and it’s ready to serve! It can also be served as a light lunch.
Pair this with one of my many appetizer recipes like Mutabal (roasted eggplant dip), Eggplant hummus, or Fried shishitos.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
A few simple ingredients are all you need to make this recipe.
- Bread: A classic bruschetta is made with toasted or grilled sliced ciabatta, Italian bread, crusty bread, or baguette but do feel free to experiment. You can even use my Rosemary Parmesan Bread, No Knead White Bread, or No Knead Whole Wheat Bread recipes as a base here. Gluten-free bread, sourdough bread, or crackers can also be used. You want to use a crusty bread to counterbalance the softness of the rest of the ingredients.
- Goat Cheese: Use a mild soft goat cheese in case you’re new to the flavor profile. Not a goat cheese fan? You can substitute for cream cheese or herbed soft cheese like Boursin. If you want to use a decadent cheese like burrata, try my Burrata Bruschetta recipe! You can also use a vegan cream cheese.
- Fresh tomatoes: I love using sweet cherry tomatoes here (grape tomatoes work too), especially when I have so many growing in the garden. Feel free to use organic heirloom tomatoes or Roma tomatoes.
- Shallot: The flavor of shallot is quite mild and not too overpowering, which balances the rest of the flavors well. Feel free to use red onions, green onions, or even chives.
- Fresh Basil: There’s really no substitution for basil in my opinion. You can play around with other fresh herbs that suit your taste. Fresh parsley is also a good option and so is fresh oregano.
- Olive Oil: Choose good quality extra-virgin olive oil. If you can find unfiltered olive oil, even better. This is the time to use that beautiful bottle of EVOO you got as a gift!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Step 1. Grill the bread. Oil both sides of the baguette slices and grill on high heat until charred slightly. While still warm, rub a garlic clove on one side of the grilled baguette slices.
Step 2. Prepare the bruschetta mix. To a medium bowl, add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced shallot, chopped basil, olive oil salt, and pepper. Taste the mix and adjust the seasoning.
Step 3. Spread goat cheese. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of softened goat cheese on the garlic side of each grilled baguette slice.
Step 4. Top and serve. Spoon tomato mixture, add a drizzle of balsamic glaze and serve.
Expert Tips
- Toast the bread in the oven. If you prefer, you can broil or toast the bread in a toaster oven. Just spread the bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil, and toast.
- Use large tomatoes. If you don’t want to use cherry tomatoes, you can use a regular tomato chopped up as finely as you like. You can drain some of the tomato liquid to avoid ending up with soggy bruschetta.
- Use ripe juicy tomatoes. If you’re using homegrown or farmer’s market cherry tomatoes, make sure they are fresh and ripe. Underripe tomatoes have no flavor and can be quite dry. You can leave your tomatoes on the counter for a day or two and they should ripen more and become juicier and more delicious.
- Change it up. You can use roasted eggplant (like in my Eggplant Bruschetta recipe), grilled asparagus, or another vegetable of your choice.
- Make it sweet. Goat cheese pairs really well with honey, so make a sweet bruschetta by combining flavors like figs, nuts, and honey. Adding an herb like fresh thyme helps round things out.
Recipe FAQs
You can prepare the tomato mixture up to 1 day in advance. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also grill the baguette a few hours before you need to serve this recipe. I recommend assembling right before you serve.
I would suggest you try to avoid having leftovers because bruschetta doesn’t keep well after it’s been assembled. So try to make only what you need, or alternatively, serve the topping on the side and have your guests make their own bruschetta. Leftovers can then be stored much easier.
You can serve this appetizer either cold or at room temperature. There’s no wrong answer here. The choice is yours.
Other Bruschetta and Appetizer Recipes
If you make this Goat Cheese Bruschetta or any other Appetizers on Urban Farm and Kitchen, please take a moment to rate this easy recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe.
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Goat Cheese Bruschetta Recipe (with Tomato and Basil)
Ingredients
- 1 Baguette – Sliced into ½ inch thick pieces on the diagonal
- 2-3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil – Divided
- 1-2 Garlic cloves
- 1 Pint Cherry tomatoes – Cut into quarters
- 2-3 tbsp Basil leaves – chopped into ribbons
- 1 Small shallot – Finly minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 ounces Mild goat cheese
- Balsamic vinegar glaze
Instructions
- Grill the bread. Oil both sides of the baguette slices and grill on high heat until charred slightly and you have beautiful grill marks, about 1-2 minutes on each side. While still warm, rub a clove of garlic on one side of the grilled baguette slices. This will add a subtle garlic flavor to the bruschetta.
- Prepare the bruschetta mix. To a bowl, add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced shallot, chopped basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper. Taste the mix and adjust the seasoning.
- Spread goat cheese. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of softened goat cheese on the garlic side of each grilled baguette slice.
- Top and serve. Top with the tomato mixture, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
Notes
- Bread: A classic bruschetta is made with toasted or grilled sliced ciabatta, Italian bread, crusty bread, or baguette but do feel free to experiment.
- Goat Cheese: Use mild goat cheese in case you’re new to the flavor profile. You can substitute for cream cheese or herbed soft cheese like Boursin.
- Tomatoes: I love using sweet cherry tomatoes here (grape tomatoes work too), especially when I have so many growing in the garden.
- Shallot: The flavor of shallot is quite mild and not too overpowering, which balances the rest of the flavors well.
- Fresh Basil: There’s really no substitution for basil in my opinion.
- Olive Oil: Choose good quality extra-virgin olive oil. If you can find unfiltered olive oil, even better.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I can live on this stuff and I did during winter and summer vacations while I was in college getting my Master’s degrees.