Fresh Tomato Basil Salad with Garlic Crostini
This recipe is basically a deconstructed tomato basil bruschetta, and I really, really liked it! I thought it was nice to serve it as a dip because we could all adjust the amount of topping to our liking. We all stood around the kitchen eating it until it disappeared and thought it tasted light, fresh, and delicious. Using really good garden-fresh tomatoes makes this dish extra special! This fresh tomato basil salad with garlic crostini is perfect for an appetizer or a light meal, and it paired very nicely with the arugula and shaved parmesan salad with lemon vinaigrette that I served it with.
Fresh Tomato Basil Salad with Garlic Crostini
Garlic Crostini:
- 1 large baguette or two small ones, sliced thinly
- Olive oil, to taste
- 3 cloves of garlic, halved
Tomato Basil Salad:
- 6 small garden tomatoes, diced
- Several basil leaves, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil, to taste
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
How to Make Fresh Tomato Basil Salad with Garlic Crostini:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Slice a baguette (or two small ones) into thin slices and place them on a baking sheet. Brush each slice with some olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Flip over and continue to bake for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately rub the hot crostini slices with the halved garlic cloves cut side down. Repeat with remaining crostini and garlic halves.
Meanwhile, combine the diced tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic slivers, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, and sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
Serve the tomato basil salad with the garlic crostini. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
Garlic Crostini:
- 1 large baguette or two small ones, sliced thinly
- Olive oil to taste
- 3 cloves of garlic halved
Tomato Basil Salad:
- 6 small garden tomatoes diced
- Several basil leaves chopped
- 1 clove of garlic sliced thinly
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil to taste
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice a baguette (or two small ones) into thin slices and place them on a baking sheet. Brush each slice with some olive oil.
- Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Flip over and continue to bake for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately rub the hot crostini slices with the halved garlic cloves, cut side down. Repeat with the remaining crostini and garlic halves.
- Meanwhile, combine the diced tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic slivers, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, and sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
- Serve the tomato basil salad with the garlic crostini. Enjoy.
Such a simple and delicious lunch idea!
Just suits my taste perfectly, yum yum. Diane
Tomatoes and basil are such a dynamite flavor combo, aren’t they? This is perfect — great dish. Thanks!
Mine wouldn’t make it to the bread; I’d just shovel it up as is, especially with fresh summer tomatoes!
Perfect for this time of year. So refreshing and tasty. I like the addition of the crostini – very mediterranean.
crostini just seem so fancy to me! your topping looks incredible to me, since i’ve decided the only two things i really need to grow in my garden are tomatoes and basil. 🙂
This totally screams summer! Tomato basil is such a perfect combination.