Bruschetta Bowl with Sticky Balsamic
I guess you could call this a deconstructed bruschetta but I much prefer the name 'Brushchetta Bowl'. Making this is super easy and quick, its healthy, its colourful and its really really beautiful and fresh not to mention dee-licious! If want something a little more filing, I also do a variation with added barley and feta. It gives another layer of texture, flavour and adds some chewiness! I suggest you try both!
Ingredients
- 400g medley tomatoes, halved (or use any combination of tomatoes your prefer)
- 1 ½ cups homemade croutons (See Note 2)
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup freshly chopped herbs (basil, parsley, chives, mint etc)
- ½ long green chilli, thinly sliced (optional but adds a nice kick)
- Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Sticky White Balsamic (See Note 3)
- Sticky Balsamic Pearls (See Note 4)
OPTIONAL
- ⅔ cup cooked barley (you could also use brown rice, freekeh, quinoa etc)
- ¼ cup crumbled firm feta
Instructions
- Combine tomatoes, croutons, onion, herbs in a bowl. Season well with sea salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Whisk olive oil and sticky white balsamic until combined. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Top with as many Sticky Balsamic Pearls as you wish. Serve and enjoy.
OPTIONAL
- Add barley and feta in Step 1 if desired for a more fulfilling salad.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - HOMEMADE CROUTONS
I used my homemade sourdough for the croutons but really, any bread will do. I have used leftover focaccia, baguettes, regular sliced bread and any other fresh or stale crunchy bread and they all work brilliantly. I just love the tang from sourdough so thats why I use this.
To make croutons, cut bread into 2cm cubes and place into a lined air fryer basket. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Cook at 200C for 12 minutes shaking them every 4 minutes to get them toasted and golden all over. Remove and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks. (if not really golden and crunchy, they may not keep as long, plus mine never keep this long because they make the best snack food ever and they all get eaten within a day or two!!) - STICKY WHITE BALSAMIC
Sticky Balsamic is a brand of balsamic that makes amazing balsamic vinegars in a variety of flavours along with gift packs and balsamic pearls. They are available to purchase online directly from their website or in-store from certain stockists located throughout Australia. They also now ship to the USA!! To read their story and find out all about their products, head over to Sticky Balsamic and check them out! You won't regret it.
If you cannot get your hands on any of this Sticky White Balsamic there is other options. You can simply use a store-bought caramelised balsamic vinegar or make a dressing from store-bought white balsamic vinegar combined with some olive oil and a little sugar. - STICKY BALSAMIC PEARLS
Sticky Balsamic Pearls are simply little pearls/balls filled with a flavoursome burst of balsamic vinegar. They are incredibly tasty, look absolutely fabulous on food and grazing boards and take your food up a notch. When you bite into one or allow it to burst in your mouth, you get this amazing POP of balsamic goodness. I used the original flavour pearls in this salad but they are available in an array of flavours to choose from such as lemon, truffle, fig, quince and more! They really are the best! The liquid the pearls come in. is also totally edible.
These are a specialty item available only from Sticky Balsamic. Unfortunately there is no substitute for these so if you can't get em, just leave them off. The salad is still amazing!