My Easy Gluten-Free Bruschetta Recipe is bursting with robust Italian flavor. This appetizer is perfect for parties as it fits many dietary needs.
This bruschetta could also be called “Sam’s Famous Bruschetta” because it came from my lovely middle sister and was featured in Simple and Delicious magazine in August/September 2011 and Taste of Home’s 2012 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes Cookbook (1).
My family loves it so much that I wanted to create a healthy version everyone could enjoy. I even included essential oils for a bioactive boost! I know your family will love it as much as mine does!
Table of Contents:
3 Reasons to Eat Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of my favorite things to grow in the garden. With just a little work, tomato plants explode! They’re incredibly versatile and can be used in sauces, soups, and bruschetta. Tomatoes aren’t just tasty, though. They’re also incredibly healthy for you.
Here are just a few of the many benefits this healthy food brings to the table.
1. Tomatoes Are Great for Your Heart
Load up on those tomatoes! Lycopene, the compound responsible for this fruit’s brilliant red hue, can promote better heart health. Studies show that skimping on your lycopene consumption can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (2).
Lycopene can also help reduce oxidative stress, another factor contributing to heart problems (3). Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death across the board, and we must use God’s gifts to fight back (4).
2. Tomatoes Could Improve Your Eye Health
It’s no secret that we live in a technologically advanced society. While these gadgets add value to everyday life, they can cause a lot of strain on the eyes. If you’re one of the many people who spend hours in front of blue-light screens every day, you may want to listen up.
Tomatoes are full of vitamin A, which your retinas need to function correctly. Lycopene, which we already know promotes heart health, can also reduce your risk of macular degenerative eye disease (5).
3. Tomatoes Can Help You Age Gracefully
One little-known fact about tomatoes is that they can help you look your best. One study showed that ingesting tomato paste with olive oil helped prevent skin damage and boosted collagen (6)! Once again, lycopene is responsible for these beautifying benefits.
Antioxidants in lycopene attack free radicals that prematurely age the skin and cause massive cellular stress. Including antioxidants in your diet is a tasty way to improve your skin health! Bonus: You have a great excuse to eat Italian food!
Healthy Bruschetta Ingredients 101
One of the best parts about this easy bruschetta recipe is that you can customize it to fit every family member’s needs. My sister often makes the allergen-friendly topping and allows us to garnish it with our cheese of choice! This is an excellent option for hostesses who want to make their dairy-free guests feel welcome.
Mozzarella-style or Parmesan-Style Cheese Shreds: Dairy-free cheese is a delicious way to enjoy traditional flavors without compromising your health goals. Great brands of dairy-free cheese include Kite Hill, Daiya, So Delicious, Violife Foods, and Follow Your Heart.
Fresh Basil: You can’t have Italian food without fresh basil! Basil has been known to promote healthy liver functions and if you’re feeling under the weather, take note: This sun-loving garden herb can also help prevent colds (7).
Fresh Parsley: Everyone knows your kidneys play an essential part in eradicating waste from your body. Every so often, your kidneys can get sluggish, especially if you’re prone to kidney stones. This is where parsley comes in! Parsley can eradicate excess mineral deposits that lead to kidney stones and even balance PH levels in your urine (8).
Garlic Cloves: Garlic has played an essential role in natural remedies for years. It’s instrumental in helping your immune system fight off common colds (9). Every recipe is made better with a touch of garlic!
Olive Oil: Olive oil is a beautiful source of omega-3s, but not all olive oils are created equal. Many oils on the market are adulterated, so nutritionally, they don’t resemble the real deal. Stick with extra-virgin olive oil and always purchase the best kind you can afford!
Essential Oils: Basil essential oil only amplifies all the wonderful things basil can do for your body. It adds a deep, earthy flavor to the bruschetta topping. Using EOs in your cooking endeavors is a great way to introduce them to the entire family.
It’s also completely safe if you use wisdom. Whenever you add essential oils to a recipe, you also need to add a dispersant. In this recipe, olive oil ensures the EOs are distributed evenly. Without a dispersant, your mouth could get irritated. You never want to ingest an essential oil neat!
Sea Salt: Traditional table salt undergoes a rigorous harvesting process that strips it of the most nutritional benefits. We love using Colima sea salt because it’s hand-harvested. This ancient process leaves the salt as God intended it!
My Easy Gluten-Free Bruschetta Recipe
This appetizer may sound fancy, but it comes together in less than 20 minutes. We love getting the kids involved in the kitchen, and even little ones can help sprinkle dairy-free cheese on top of baguette slices.
- 4 organic plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup dairy-free mozzarella-style or Parmesan-style cheese shreds*
- ¼ cup minced fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons organic balsamic vinegar
- 1 or 2 drops basil essential oil
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon organic crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 2 (8.4-ounce) gluten-free baguettes, cut in ½-inch slices, or 6 dinner rolls (halved)
- ¼ cup butter or raw organic coconut oil,softened
- 2 cups dairy-free mozzarella-style cheese shreds
- Small bowl
- Slotted spoon
- Baking sheet
- Preheat the broiler to low.
- In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, the ½ cup mozzarella-style shreds, the basil, parsley, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil essential oil, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and white pepper. Set aside.
- Spread the baguette slices with the butter. Top each slice with some of the 2 cups mozzarella-style shreds.
- Place the baguette slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Watch carefully to avoid burning the cheese or the bread. Remove from the oven.
- With a slotted spoon, top each baguette slice with about 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture. Place on a tray and serve.
Step One: Prepare the Bruschetta Topping
Preheat your oven’s broiler to low. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, the ½ cup mozzarella-style shreds, the basil, parsley, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil essential oil, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and white pepper. Set aside.
Step Two: Bake the Baguette
Spread the baguette slices with the butter. Top each slice with some of the 2 cups mozzarella-style shreds. Place the baguette slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Watch carefully to avoid burning the cheese or the bread. Remove from the oven.
Step Three: Top the Baguette
Top each baguette with about 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture. Place on a tray and serve.
Mama Z Pro Tip: You will have some bread left over that you can toast lightly and toss in a food processor to make bread crumbs for other meals.
Are you as obsessed with Italian food as I am? I couldn’t live without my favorite dishes! Thankfully, I’ve found a way to enjoy them without compromising my health goals. Join me as I create 3 of my favorite gluten-free Italian recipes. Get an exclusive sneak peek here!
- https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fresh-tomato-bruschetta
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22158914/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16569044/
- https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12921892/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20854436/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5495712/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5698599/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32836826/
