Bruschetta is something my family and I have enjoyed for as long as I can remember! I always assumed it required all sorts of fancy herbs and things to make it taste so good, but it turns out decent bruschetta is surprisingly easy to make. It’s a delicious snack that goes well alongside pasta. And if you’re throwing a little party, it’s perfect to serve to your guests.

Now, as for the absolute basics, you’ll need:

Tomato

Salt

Bread

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or a vinaigrette combining the two)

In my case, I based my bruschetta off of a recipe that asked for balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I happened to have this lovely vinaigrette on hand, fresh off the discount aisle at the store, but many recipes seem to require only olive oil. Use whatever you’ve got on hand, or whatever floats your boat.

If you’ve got some in the pantry, I recommend grabbing:

Garlic

Basil

Now for the actual preparation! Chop up the tomato.

To avoid getting tomato juices, vinegar and oil, and other stuff everywhere, put the chopped tomato in a bowl. Sprinkle in the salt, garlic and basil. Then add the vinaigrette (but don’t go overboard- we’re not making soup here). Then mix it all together!

Toast your bread, and once it’s nice and crispy, spoon your tomato mixture onto the toast. Ta-da!

Of course, there are many variations to be had, if you’ve got the ingredients and would like a little variety. You can add mozzarella cheese, onions, raw or cooked, olives, and even prosciutto if you wanna get fancy.

As a final note- like pizza bread, this is a great way of dealing with stale or hard bread, as the olive oil and tomato juices moisten the bread, making it easier to chew, and very delicious!