Bruschetta salad with croutons is a popular choice for summer salads. The combination of fresh tomatoes, red onion, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing creates a burst of Mediterranean flavors that are both tangy and savory. It’s a light salad option that can be enjoyed as a starter or a main dish. This delicious salad is perfect for a warm day, thanks to its fresh ingredients and minimal dressing.
Ingredients for Bruschetta Salad With Homemade Croutons:
- Fresh Roma tomatoes – you can use any kind of tomatoes you like, but I find that the Roma tomatoes have more flesh and less seeds, which is what I prefer in this salad.
- Red onion – fresh red onion gives a little kick to the sweet tomatoes.
- Salt and Black Pepper – seasonings to accent both the vegetables and the vinaigrette.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar – These ingredients combined with salt and pepper make a simple and tasty balsamic vinaigrette for the salad. You can also substitute red wine vinegar in a pinch.
- Toasted French bread – for making homemade croutons.
- Italian seasoning and garlic powder (optional) for seasoning the croutons.
The full ingredient list is available in the printable recipe card below.
How to make Fresh Bruschetta Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette:
The instructions for this fresh bruschetta tomato salad recipe are super simple. First, toast the french bread. It’s up to you how you season the bread – I like to use Italian seasoning, but you can leave it plain if you want to. Toast the bread in a toaster oven or in your regular oven.
Next, all you have to do is combine everything in a bowl. Add the croutons right before you serve the salad so that they stay crunchy.
You can also make this recipe ahead of time. But make sure you don’t add the croutons until you serve. Keep in mind that the longer the salad sits, the more the liquids pool up in the bottom. Be sure to mix it again thoroughly before adding the croutons.
Full instructions are available below in the printable recipe card.
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Tools Needed for Italian Bruschetta Salad With Homemade Croutons:
paring knife – for cutting up the vegetables and bread
salad bowls – for serving
Questions People Ask:
This recipe is super versatile. Adding mozzarella and some fresh basil makes this a caprese bruschetta salad, but I love it with some fresh avocado. Sometimes I even add a little leftover cooked chicken to make it a complete meal.
If I don’t have any olive oil, I’ll use a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette in this salad and it’s delicious.
This salad is really only good for about 2 days when refrigerated because the tomatoes release a lot of the juices and make it a bit watery. You could simply drain some of the liquid out. In my house it’s usually eaten up in the first day anyway.
If you’re short on time, store-bought croutons work just fine, but they’re so much better when you make them yourself because you can season them any way that you want to.
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Printable Recipe Card With Full Instructions and Ingredients:
Easy Bruschetta Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette and Homemade Croutons
Bruschetta salad with croutons is a popular choice for summer salads. The combination of fresh tomatoes, red onion, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing creates a burst of Mediterranean flavors that are both tangy and savory. It's a light salad option that can be enjoyed as a starter or a main dish. This delicious salad is perfect for a warm day, thanks to its fresh ingredients and minimal dressing.
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 3 cups chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- For the croutons:
- 2 cups toasted French bread chopped into crouton sized pieces
- drizzle of olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Italian Seasoning.
- Bake on a nonstick baking sheet for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through to ensure even crispness.
For the Salad:
- Wash the tomatoes and onion.
- Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and dice the red onion.
- In a small bowl, mix the oil and Balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, saving the croutons for last so that they stay crunchy.
- Serve immediately after adding croutons.
Notes
- You can use any type of tomato you want in this salad. Roma works well because it is fleshier than other types.
- You can also substitute red onion for another type of onion. Vidalia gives the salad a sweeter flavor.
- If you make the salad ahead of time, leave the croutons out until you're ready to serve.
- Watch the croutons carefully while they bake because they can burn quickly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 752mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 11g
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