Bruschetta can be served as a sauce or dressing.
Usually quick to prepare and tasty to eat, a bruschetta salad is a lettuce-based salad that includes a bruschetta dressing. An Italian dish, bruschetta is toasted bread, usually seasoned, topped with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, olive oil, and other seasonings. While a bruschetta salad can use toasted bread slices like a real bruschetta, store-bought croutons are more often used. Usually considered a side dish, some versions of bruschetta salad can be served as a main dish.
Bruschetta salad includes a green salad with bread or croutons and bruschetta on top.
Depending on the version, many bruschetta ingredients can be prepared in advance. Typically, an olive oil and vinegar dressing is used, such as Roman basil or Parmesan balsamic vinaigrette, but you can also create a homemade vinaigrette. Store-bought croutons are also a frequent choice. When making homemade croutons, Italian or French bread is often used. The bread is often spread with the sauce before baking to toast it.
Capers can be added to bruschetta salad.
Tomatoes are a vital ingredient for the bruschetta mix and therefore for a bruschetta salad. They are often fresh, but sometimes they are canned. Canned tomatoes with additional flavorings such as basil can be chosen. Other vegetables or fruits such as cucumbers, onions, and avocados can also be included in the mix. Additional seasonings, such as basil or capers, are often included if the tomatoes or sauce don’t already provide them.
Rocket leaves are often included in bruschetta salad.
Romaine lettuce is most often chosen for the leafy greens portion of the dish. Baby spinach or arugula are also options. Occasionally, a version will dispense with a leafy vegetable and use fresh herbs like basil leaves instead. In addition to lettuce, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese is often added to bruschetta salad. Some varieties will add a deli meat, such as pepperoni.
Endive can be included in bruschetta salad.
The bruschetta mix is usually made first when making a bruschetta salad. If fresh tomatoes are used, they will be chopped along with any additional fruit or vegetables. They are then combined with the sauce and seasonings and tossed. The mixture is then mixed with the lettuce and croutons, or simply combined with the lettuce and placed on toasted bread slices or topped with the croutons.
Vegetable Salad.
Various versions of bruschetta salad add slices of cooked steak to create a contrast of hot and cold when eating. Steaks are usually grilled and can be seasoned beforehand with just salt and pepper or a more complex spice mix. Once cooked, the steak is cut into thin slices and placed on top of the salad. When using steak, the mixture of meat, lettuce and bruschetta is usually layered on top of whole slices of bread.