All of the flavors of bruschetta in an easy-to-make salad! It's best to use bread that's a day or two old. You can use any hearty bread such as french bread, baguette, Italian bread, or ciabiatta.
4largeripe tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces(about 1 ¼ pounds)
¼red onion, sliced thin(about ¾ cup)
8ouncesfresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
½cupbasil leaves, roughly torn
Dressing Ingredients
½cupolive oil
¼cupred wine vinegar
2clovesminced garlic
½teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoonkosher salt
Instructions
For the bread cubes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together the cubed bread, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Spread bread on to baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden.
In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, tomatoes, onion slices, mozzarella cubes, and torn basil.
For the dressing, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in a salad shaker or bowl, and mix until well combined.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Let the salad sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Use stale bread: stale bread will absorb the flavors of the salad. Toasting the bread will help to crisp up the bread even if it's not stale.
Use ripe tomatoes: the quality of the tomatoes is key to a good bruschetta salad. Use ripe, juicy tomatoes that are in season for the best flavor.
Red onion: the red onion adds a sharp, tangy flavor and helps balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. If you want to mellow the flavor of the onion, slice thing and then soak in cool water for 10 minutes before using.
Use high quality olive oil: since the dressing is very simple, it's important to use high-quality olive oil.
Let the salad sit: once all of the ingredients are tossed, let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the bread to absorb all of the flavors.
Add other ingredients: you can customize this salad by adding other ingredients such as cucumbers, bell peppers, or olives.
Serve chilled: this salad is best served chilled, so keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.