The Simple Prep Work That Prevents Soggy Bruschetta

Who doesn't love crunching into a toasty, fully-loaded slice of bruschetta? Homemade bruschetta is one of the best kinds there is, but there's one caveat: how do you apply a wet tomato salad on top of toasted bread and keep it from going soggy? The simple prep work needed to prevent soggy bruschetta is to remove the bitter tomato skins and seeds before assembling. Top the bread just before serving, and it'll keep its crunch.

Bruschetta is as classic as burgers and hot dogs in the summer months when tomatoes and basil are in their peak season. Derived from the Roman verb "bruscare," which eventually made its way into the Italian language as "abbrustolire," meaning "to toast" or "to roast over coals," this Italian antipasto remains a modern day crowd-pleaser. Hailing from the regions of Tuscany and Lazio in central Italy, bruschetta started out as a simple Roman dish of rubbing fresh garlic over roasted bread and drizzling olive oil over top. It is speculated that this tradition stems from Roman farmers who would use slices of bread to "taste" their new harvests of olive oil. 

Today, many different types of bruschetta exist regionally in Italy and internationally, but the most classic preparation is grilled bread rubbed with garlic, topped with fresh diced tomatoes and basil, drizzled with olive oil, and seasoned with salt. Toppings vary stateside, and you'll typically see mozzarella or other cheeses and vegetables added, and oftentimes a balsamic glaze drizzled over the top.

As the old adage goes, there are many ways to skin a cat, and the same can be said for peeling tomatoes. The traditional method of blanching is the best way to peel tomatoes. Blanching is a process that preserves the flavor, color, and freshness of vegetables by boiling them quickly and then submerging them in an ice bath to halt the cooking process.

To blanch tomatoes, score the bottoms by making shallow cuts using a pairing knife in the shape of an "X." Keep your cuts surface level to avoid piercing the flesh. Place the tomatoes into a large pot of salted boiling water and wait 30 to 60 seconds or until the skins start to peel. Remove the tomatoes using a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, and transfer them into an ice bath. Peel the skins off the flesh once the tomatoes are cool enough to touch. If they do not peel off easily, put the tomatoes back into the boiling water for a few extra seconds. If you're pressed for time, the microwave tomato-peeling hack works just as well as the traditional blanching method. 

The next step is to seed your tomatoes. There are many ways of doing this as well, but for regular sized tomatoes, simply quarter them, then cut around the seeds and discard. 

Once you've skinned and peeled your tomatoes, dice them so they're about equal sizes, or as instructed by your recipe. Now begins the fun task of assembling the ingredients. Many bruschetta recipes exist, but all are based off of the classic Italian-style bruschetta consisting of grilled or toasted bread, diced tomatoes, basil, salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. 

For a creative spin on the dish, try this Mediterranean white bean bruschetta recipe, which has an interesting twist, thanks to cannellini beans and red wine vinegar. (Just be sure to peel and seed your tomatoes, and drain and rinse the beans before use.)

Bruschetta is a simple yet highly flavorful dish meant to showcase ingredients at their peak; let the ingredients speak for themselves. Whatever recipe you choose, remember to wait to top your bread with the tomato or vegetable mixture until just before serving to further prevent soggy bruschetta. Now, plate up and serve.