Super Easy Strawberry Balsamic Bruschetta
This strawberry balsamic bruschetta is ridiculously easy and full of bright summer flavors! Layered with crostini, creamy mascarpone, balsamic-glazed strawberries, and a sprinkle of fresh basil, it's fresh, juicy, sweet, and tangy. This is one of my go-to appetizers in the summertime, and it's always the first thing to go!
Ingredients
Balsamic Glaze
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar (240 milliliters)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed (30 grams)
Strawberry Bruschetta
- 1 pound fresh strawberries (450 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons julienned fresh basil more for garnish (8 grams)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar (25 milliliters)
- 1 teaspoon honey more if needed
- Pinch of Kosher salt I use Diamond
- Freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- 24 homemade crostini or store-bought
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese or ricotta room temperature (115 grams)
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling - store-bought or recipe above
Equipment
- Small saucepan
Instructions
Balsamic Glaze
- Add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Gently simmer the balsamic glaze for 8-12 minutes, until it's syrupy and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir it often to prevent burning. Remove the pan from the heat and pour it into a bowl to let the glaze cool completely. It will thicken more as it cools.
Strawberry Bruschetta
- Use a sharp knife to hull the strawberries. Discard the stems. Then, small dice the strawberries. (You want them to be small enough to fit on the crostini.)
- Add the diced strawberries, julienned basil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper to a medium bowl. Toss until the honey is dissolved and the strawberries are well-coated in the balsamic mixture.
- Using a butter knife, spread about 1 teaspoon of mascarpone on each crostini. Then, spoon the strawberry-balsamic mixture evenly over the crostini. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with more basil and black pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
If you make the balsamic glaze, you will need to add 15 minutes to the total cook time.
Store-bought balsamic glaze tends to be thicker than homemade. If you use store-bought, feel free to thin it out with a little balsamic vinegar to make it easier to drizzle!
Look for the best strawberries possible. You want them to be bright red, sweet, and juicy for the best flavor.
Depending on the brand of balsamic vinegar you're using, you may want to add more honey. I use sweeter balsamic, so I stick with about 1 teaspoon in this recipe.
Feel free to swap the mascarpone with ricotta, goat cheese, feta, or even brie.
While you can definitely make the berry mixture ahead of time, you'll want to assemble the crostini right before you're ready to serve it. The bread will get soggy if these sit too long!
Serving: 1crostini, Calories: 114kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 201mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @sundaytable.co on Instagram!