Eggplant Bruschetta 7 Toppings

We’ll show you seven delicious toppings with a pleasant Mediterranean flavor, so you have plenty of ideas to choose from. Eggplant bruschetta is a popular way of eating eggplant in Italy, especially during the summer and early autumn, when there are plenty of eggplants around.Bruschetta is mainly served as an appetizer, but many people also eat it for dinner, topped with different vegetables and leftovers from their lunch, served with a salad on the side.Here we’ll show you seven different ways of preparing eggplant and using it as a bruschetta topping.

Ingredients

Instructions

Apply Bruschetta Topping

As soon as the bread is toasted, rub with a peeled clove of garlic, and drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil.The warm crusty bread will help the garlic and olive oil release their aroma and get infused with it.Apply eggplant topping and sprinkle with extra fresh herbs. Alternatively, you can transfer the topping into a bowl and serve it next to the toasted bread for people to help themselves.

Italian sautéed eggplant with tomatoesSweet and sour eggplantMoroccan ZaaloukMiddle Eastern Baba GanoushSicilian CaponataOven-roasted eggplant and Air-fried eggplantGrilled eggplant

Pick one or more, and let us know which one is your favorite in the comments below. Traditionally, bruschetta is made with one to two days old bread, but you can also use fresh bread. Avoid sandwich bread and soft bread loaves. Also, a baguette is not commonly used for bruschetta. However, you can use a baguette to make homemade crostini which you can then top with the same toppings we are showing you here. We haven’t tried gluten-free bruschetta, but you could try using gluten-free bread.

Eggplant

Our favorite varieties for this recipe are globe eggplants (standard American eggplants with dark shiny skin), Italian eggplants (similar to American globe eggplant), or zebra eggplants (also known as Sicilian eggplant, with white and light-purple stripes).

Tomatoes

You can use any ripe tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, date tomatoes, vine tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, and beefsteak tomatoes.

Olive oil

We prefer extra virgin olive oil for a fruitier taste and better nutrition.

Salt, Pepper, and Red Pepper Flakes

Sea salt or kosher salt to season the eggplant, freshly ground black pepper for aroma, and red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.

Garlic

Choose fresh garlic cloves rather than garlic powder for this eggplant bruschetta. We use garlic for cooking the eggplant and rubbing on the warm toasted bread.

Fresh Basil

Fresh basil is our fresh herb of choice for this recipe. You can replace it with fresh parsley, oregano, and thyme. Sauté on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then crush them with a fork. Wash and dry the eggplant, cut off the stem, slice eggplant into 1-inch slices (2.5 cm), and then cubes. Add the eggplant to the pan along with one cup of water. Stir well, cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the lid off and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce gets thick and all the water has gone. Add fresh basil leaves, stir, and set aside.

Toast the Bread

Turn on the broiler function of your oven. Slice the bread into 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) thick slices. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet, on a single layer, without overlapping, and broil in the oven until golden brown on top. There’s no need to turn it around unless you want ultra-crunchy bruschetta. If you have a charcoal grill, toast your bread there. Your bruschetta will be even tastier and look nicer with charred grill marks. Alternatively, you can use a grill pan.

Serving suggestions

Make a big platter with mixed bruschetta toppings. You can find some inspiration in our blog post on how to make bruschetta.You can also add homemade crostini with various toppings to the same platter. Homemade crostini are smaller bruschetta with multiple toppings.Serve the platter as an appetizer or as a light dinner with a salad on the side.

Variations

Italian Sweet and Sour Eggplant Topping

Storage

Eat eggplant bruschetta within 30 minutes of making it; this recipe can’t be stored once assembled. You can, however, store the toppings separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before putting them on the toasted bread. Toppings can be served warm or at room temperature. Here are the instructions for sweet and sour eggplant.

Sicilian Caponata Topping

Ingredients: eggplant, tomatoes, onion, celery, extra-virgin olive oil, green olives, capers, salt, black pepper, vinegar, sugar, basil, and pine nuts. Here are the instructions for eggplant caponata. Here are the instructions for Moroccan Zalouk.

Middle Eastern Baba Ganoush Topping

Ingredients: eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, flat-leaf parsley, extra virgin olive oil. Here are the instructions for Middle Eastern Baba Ganoush. Here are the instructions for Oven Roasted Eggplant and Air-Fried Eggplant. We like to top this with our homemade chipotle sauce.

Grilled Eggplant Topping

Ingredients: eggplant, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, black pepper, basil leaves, or parsley. Here are the instructions for Grilled Eggplant. On this one, you can add a classic bruschetta tomato mixture on top of the eggplant slice.