Bruschetta is a big part of any visit to Italy, it combines the three major Italian food groups – tomato, olive oil and crusty bread. Some think it is a simple dish, but I think it’s one of the best ways to highlight and enjoy simple fresh ingredients.
So obviously when I was staying on the Amalfi Coast in Italy having the time of my life I ate a lot of bruschetta. In fact, I eat a lot of bruschetta at the best of times, as you can tell from my recent breakfast bruschetta recipe posts: Backpackers Blackberry Breakfast Bruschetta and a Beetroot and Egg Breakfast Bruschetta.
Yet, I always come back to the classic and the original – the tomato and herb bruschetta on crusty bread. How can you beat that?! This meal is great for a light lunch or an afternoon snack as it is easy and cheap to throw together. Did I mention how spectacular it looks as well? It’s jam-packed full of antioxidants (which are apparently important to us), flavour and can be edited to your own specifications.
I love making this meal in Italy when I have fresh ingredients – for some reasons tomatoes always taste better in Italy. However, this dish can be made anywhere in the world for relatively cheap, which is why I think it’s the perfect backpacker recipe. You can whip it together in a short amount of time, with few utensils and do it all on a budget.
Check out this quick video to see how easy it is for you to create this simple masterpiece of culinary delight in your hostel, AirBnB or home.
Backpackers Italian Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Crusty bread
- Basil or parsley
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/2 a red capsicum
- 1 clove of garlic crushed
- 2 large tomatoes or a pallet of small ones
- Buffalo mozzarella
- Salami – if inclined
- 1/2 a lemon
Instructions:
- Finely chop the tomatoes, herbs, capsicum, red onion and tear the mozzarella, place them in a bowl
- Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice
- Season and toss
- Toast some slices of bread
- Rub with crushed garlic while still warm
- Gently pile the tomato mix onto of the bread.
Cost:
5 Euros and can feed as many as 6
Equipment:
- 1 bowl
- 1 knife
- Either a toaster, grill or frying pan to toast the bread
Cooking tips:
- If you don’t have a toaster, use a grill, if you also don’t have a grill you can toast bread in a frying pan on low heat – just watch it
- Any herb will do – most herbs go well with tomatoes
- You can use normal sandwich bread as well if it is cheaper where you are.