Roasted Pepper Garlic Bruschetta with Fresh Tomatoes
Charred sweet peppers and creamy roasted garlic on toasted ciabatta, topped with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. Peppers are roasted until blackened, then steamed to slip off their skins easily. Each slice gets spread with soft garlic, layered with tomato and pepper strips, finished with olive oil and served alongside briny olive tapenade for dipping.
Ingredients
- 3 red or yellow peppers, whole
- 1 garlic bulb, whole
- 8 slices ciabatta, toastedfocaccia1:1bread
similar structure and texture
- 16 cherry tomatoes, sliced
- basil leaves, fresh(optional)
- olive oil, to drizzle(optional)
- black olive tapenade, to serve(optional)sun-dried tomato paste1:1condiment
similar salty umami element
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 400°F (350°F fan, 400F, gas 6).
- 2
Place whole peppers in a roasting tin and wrap garlic bulb in foil.
- 3
Roast peppers and garlic together for around 40 minutes until peppers are very soft and slightly blackened.
- 4
Remove from oven, transfer peppers to a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave to steam for 10 minutes.
- 5
Once cooled enough to handle, peel away skins, tops and seeds from peppers, then tear flesh into strips.
- 6
Remove garlic from foil and squeeze cloves from their skins.
- 7
Spread one garlic clove onto each toast slice, then layer cherry tomato slices, pepper strips and basil leaves on top.
- 8
Season and drizzle with olive oil.
- 9
Serve with black olive tapenade on the side.
Tips
Steaming peppers in a covered bowl after roasting makes skin removal much easier.
Roasted garlic will be soft and spreadable; one clove per slice is sufficient.
Assemble just before serving to prevent toast from becoming soggy.
Good to Know
Roasted peppers and garlic can be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Toast bread fresh before serving.
Roast peppers and garlic up to 1 day in advance. Peel peppers and store in an airtight container. Toast bread up to 4 hours ahead and store in an airtight container.
Arrange bruschetta on a platter with tapenade in a small bowl for dipping. Serve at room temperature or warm the toasts before topping if preferred.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the steaming step to avoid difficulty peeling pepper skins.
Do not over-roast garlic to avoid it becoming bitter or burning.
Do not assemble too far in advance to avoid soggy bread from tomato juices.
Substitutions
similar structure and texture
similar salty umami element