Vegan Bruschetta Recipe With Tomatoes (Easy!)
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This Vegan Bruschetta is a twist on a classic Italian dish. It has a mixture of sweet tomato, crunchy zucchini, and creamy white beans that sit on top of a whole wheat baguette, topped with fresh herbs for a finishing touch. This simple recipe is great as an appetizer, light lunch, or side dish!
I love a good bruschetta! Usually it’s served as an appetizer in Italian restaurants, but this easy vegan bruschetta with fresh vegetables and white beans is hearty enough for a main dish.
This is one of those recipes you can change up based on whatever ingredients you have, since pretty much anything will taste great on a big piece of crusty bread!
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It’s also super versatile: you can make it as an appetizer for a party, or as a main dish for your family. You can use any vegetables you have on hand, and any canned beans that are in your pantry. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use diced tomatoes. The options are endless, but it will turn out delicious and perfectly seasoned every time!
This vegan bruschetta recipe is the perfect appetizer for any occasion, but it will also become one of your favorite go to meals on nights you’re just not sure what to make for dinner!
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- A favorite appetizer for any time of the year
- Classic bruschetta recipe with a vegan twist!
- Fresh Ingredients
- Vegan Friendly
- Dairy-Free
- Healthy and Nutritious
- Easy Recipe
🥘 Ingredients
This easy vegan bruschetta recipe calls for fresh produce that can be found at your local grocery store or farmers market! I recommending buying organic ingredients whenever possible!
Whole Wheat French Baguette: Use a whole wheat baguette to increase the fiber content. You can use any kind of bread you want, french bread, sourdough bread, or ciabatta would both work well. I just recommend a hearty bread that’s whole grain!
Vegetables: Red pepper, red onion, garlic, zucchini, and eggplant are sautéd in olive oil.
Cannellini Beans and Diced Tomatoes: You’ll need one 15 oz can of each.
Spices: For the best flavor, I recommend a combination of Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed red pepper.
Fresh Basil Leaves: Added for garnish and flavor.
Optional – Vegan Mozzarella or Vegan Parmesan Cheese: These ingredients are totally optional, but do give this easy bruschetta an authentic appeal. If you want to skip the vegan cheese all together, you can sprinkle with a bit of nutritional yeast to get that “cheesy” like flavor.
Scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card for complete measurements and instructions.
🍽 Equipment
- Cutting Board
- A good quality Chopping Knife
- Large Skillet
- Cooking Spoon
📖 Variations
Olive Bruschetta: If you love the brininess of olives, add some chopped kalamata olives to the tomato mixture!
Different Types of Tomatoes: Any type of tomato will work well in this recipe. Choose from beefsteak, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, or whatever looks best and fresh when you visit the grocery store. The best time of year to enjoy tomatoes is in the summer!
Vegan Caprese Bruschetta: Instead of the white beans bruschetta topping, use a simple combination of heirloom tomatoes, sea salt, cracked black pepper, fresh basil leaves with a balsamic glaze drizzled over top for a caprese bruschetta!
Vegan Bruschetta Pasta: Instead of serving the bruschetta topping mixture over crusty bread, try tossing it with some whole wheat pasta or chickpea pasta and serving with marinara sauce!
Mexican Bruschetta: Instead of fresh basil, use cilantro; instead of Italian seasoning, use taco seasoning, and instead of tomatoes, use a tomato salsa!
Gluten Free Bruschetta: Substitute a gluten free baguette for the bread to make this veggie bruschetta recipe gluten free!
🔪 Instructions
Chop all the veggies and heat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the red onion, red pepper, zucchini, eggplant, and fresh garlic in 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, until the veggies are cooked through.
Add the rest of the topping ingredients. Add the white beans, Roma tomatoes, Italian spices, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined and heated through. If you are using vegan cheese, stir it in right when the tomato mixture is almost done cooking, and let it warm for 1-2 minutes until it melts.
Warm Your Bread: Chop the baguette into thick slices. Toast the bread on a grill pan or in the toaster oven until slightly crispy and golden brown.
Assemble your bruschetta. Top each of the baguette slices with the white bean mixture, some fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
❓Recipe FAQs
The difference between a crostini and bruschetta has to do with the type of bread that is used and the way that is sliced. Bruschetta is made with toasted slices of bread that are cut wide. Often a Sourdough is used. Crostini is made by toasting smaller slices of bread like a baguette.
Bruschetta is usually topped with marinated toppings such as chopped fresh tomatoes, onions and basil. Crostini is topped with spreads such as jams, goat cheese, and tapenades. Technically you could consider this recipe a cross between a crostini and bruschetta since it uses a baguette like a crostini, and the marinated topping like bruschetta.
Bruschetta can be served both warm or cold depending on various toppings of your choice. This recipe is served warm. However you can have other recipes that are simply topped with fresh tomatoes, onions, and basil that are served cold with warm toasted bread.
For the best bruschetta, I recommend using a hearty bread that won’t get soggy once you add the toppings. Baguettes, a good crusty whole grain bread, sourdough, or even ciabatta will all work well.
Traditional bruschetta is typically made with thin slices of white bread, olive oil, herbs and tomatoes. The tomatoes and olive oil are nutrient rich, but I wouldn’t say bruschetta is super healthy overall. This vegan bruschetta though, thanks to a few easy swaps, is super healthy for you!
Here’s why:
Lots of Veggies: This bruschetta is full of added vegetables that are high in vitamins and nutrients. Zucchini is high in Vitamin A, tomatoes that are high in antioxidants, and red peppers that are high in Vitamin C.
Whole Wheat Bread: Using a whole wheat baguette adds fiber to this dish. White bread has no nutritional value, but boosting the fiber by making a simple substitution helps with regulating blood sugar, and aids in digestion.
Plant Protein: Adding white beans to this bruschetta adds needed plant protein that makes this a complete meal!
Kids will enjoy this bruschetta because it’s kind of like a little pizza! It’s got a nice Italian flavor, and the veggies are sautéd to a soft consistency that makes it really easy for littles ones to chew and enjoy!
👪 How To Serve
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and top with fresh basil.
You can enjoy this recipe as a main dish if you are enjoying several pieces, or as an appetizer. If you’re serving this as an appetizer I suggest one of these healthy Italian main dishes:
- Italian Chickpea Soup with Tomato and Rosemary
- Italian Chickpea Soup with Parmesan
- Vegetarian Pasta Bake with Italian Herbs
❄️ How To Store
You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance. However, do not place the tomato and bean mixture on the toasted baguette until you’re ready to serve or the bread will become soggy.
Assemble and toast the bruschetta fresh when you’re ready to serve.
💭 Expert Tips
- This is a great recipe to use up any fresh veggies you have!
- If you don’t have white beans use any other canned beans as a substitute.
- Use a fresh whole wheat baguette.
- You can use fresh or canned tomatoes depending on what you have on hand.
- If making in advance store the topping in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
🥕 More Healthy Vegan Recipes!
- Budget-Friendly Black Bean Burgers
- Southwestern Tofu Scramble with Black Beans
- Thai Basil Eggplant
- Chipotle Black Bean Burgers
- Healthy Vegan Pop Tarts
📋 Recipe Card
Vegan Bruschetta with White Beans
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 3-5 small zucchini chopped
- 1 small eggplant diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 15 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 can
- 15 oz stewed diced or crushed tomatoes with Italian spices 1 can
- 2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
- 16 slices Fresh whole wheat or whole grain bread
- Salt & crushed red pepper to taste
- fresh basil or herbs of choice
Instructions
- Cut all of your veggies, and heat a large pan over medium heat
- Saute the red onion, red pepper, zucchini, eggplant and garlic in 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, until the veggies are cooked through.
- Add the rest of the topping ingredients. Add the white beans, Roma tomatoes, Italian spices, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined and heated through. If you are using vegan cheese, stir it in right when the tomato mixture is almost done cooking, and let it warm for 1-2 minutes until it melts.
- Warm Your Bread: Chop the baguette into thick slices. Toast the bread on a grill pan or in the toaster oven until slightly crispy and golden brown.
- Assemble your bruschetta. Top each of the baguette slices with the white bean mixture, some fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Notes
- This is a great recipe to use up any fresh veggies you have!
- If you don’t have white beans use any other canned beans as a substitute.
- Use a fresh whole wheat baguette.
- You can use fresh or canned tomatoes depending on what you have on hand.
- To make this a true caprese bruschetta use mozzarella and basil. If you don’t have that on hand, use another type of cheese such as parmesan and any fresh herbs you like.
- If making in advance store the topping in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Assemble and toast the bruschetta fresh when you’re ready to serve.
- To make this dish vegan omit the cheese!
