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I love a fresh, light appetizer and a summery bruschetta checks all of those boxes. Combine beautiful, vine-ripe tomatoes, minced garlic, lots of fresh basil, a splash of fruity olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and the result is heavenly.
Of course, the season for vine-ripe tomatoes and basil right-out-the-back-door is sadly short and this type of bruschetta is just not the same at other times of the year. But that doesn't mean appetizers full of fresh, vibrant flavor can't be enjoyed in the cooler months too.
This Winter Market Bruschetta is aways a winner. Even though warm, sunny days and garden fresh produce seem like distant memories, it's a great way to serve a healthy and delicious appetizer.
With a simple list of ingredients, it's easy to put together. Seedless cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers and red onions are all readily available at this time of year. Rosemary and parsley are winter herbs that add lots of fresh flavor to the bruschetta and, if you live in a moderate climate, they might even be still flourishing in your garden.
Diced Feta cheese gives a touch of saltiness and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds brightness. A drizzle of good olive oil ties the whole thing together deliciously.
I love serving this fresh, light bruschetta around the holidays, when so much of what's offered is heavy, rich and/or indulgent. It seems that our guests are always delighted with it.
It's the perfect dish to take to a party, potluck or office get-together. Serve it with crostini or pita chips - be sure to make plenty, as it disappears quickly!
If this bruschetta looks vaguely familiar, you're right! I make a summer version of this called Farmer's Market Bruschetta with just picked corn, zucchini, peppers and lots of fresh thyme. It's crazy delicious, but much better for the sunny days of summer, when produce is so abundant and fresh, it's almost ridiculous. You might want to pin this one for about 6 months down the road (unless you live in Australia or New Zealand!)
For both of these bruschettas, I use my handy dandy chopper. It hardly takes any time to dice fresh peppers, onions, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, etc. - and makes these appetizers a breeze!
P.S. If you happen to be lucky enough to have a bit of this delicious bruschetta left over, try this: heat about a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and add a soft naan. Cook for just a minute or so on each side till light golden. Spread the naan with hummus, add some sliced or shredded chicken and top it off with big spoonful of the bruschetta, along with a few pitted Kalamata olives - delish!
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- 1 small yellow bell pepper diced small, about ¼ inch
- 1 small red bell pepper diced small, about ¼ inch
- 1 small red onion diced small, about ¼ inch
- 1 medium seedless cucumber unpeeled diced small, about ¼ inch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 ounces Feta* cheese diced small, about ¼ inch or crumbled
- fresh ground black pepper
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Combine all ingredients except herbs and Feta in a medium size bowl and stir to combine.
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Add herbs (reserve about 1 teaspoon for garnish, if desired) and Feta. Stir gently to combine. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and reserved herbs. Serve with crostini or pita chips. Serves 6-8 as an appetizer.
Look for Feta cheese in bulk rather than crumbled. If you can't find the bulk, just sprinkle the crumbled over the top instead of mixing in with the other ingredients.
Dina says
Delicious as written. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much Dina!
2pots2cook says
Super bowl for Super Bowl. Thank you and have a nice day !
Amy says
This is a great recipe, my Sister makes on very similar.
Chris Scheuer says
It's hard to resist Amy!
Sandra says
Thanks for sharing this beautiful winter version!
Chris Scheuer says
You're very welcome Sandra!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
This time of year, I'd like to just sit and stare at that bowl for a bit. It cheers me up just looking at it! Great treat for holidays 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Ha Ha! Love your comment Jennifer! And wow, can I relate to it!
TheKitchenLioness says
Colorful, healthy and picture perfect - I would not mind eating that bowl for dinner either! It looks utterly irrestible!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Andrea! it could be a meal in a bowl for this girl too!
Susan says
I tomatoes on the vine are my favorite choice when I can't pick my own. Now, there are even more lovely varieties of baby tomatoes too. I love bruschetta and should think about making it more often in the fall and winter.
Chris Scheuer says
I love how simple it is to make - and delicious!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
So colourful and fresh! I would love some too.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Angie!
Adina says
Beautiful! And I was actually thinking how much patience you have to cut the veggies in such perfect little squares, then I saw the chopper. 🙂 I have something very similar at home but I am mostly too lazy to climb on the ladder and get it out of the cupboard.
Chris Scheuer says
I've said it before Adina, but that little chopper is one of the most treasured tools I have in my kitchen! So simple, yet so effective!
Hari says
Why did you not include corn in the recipe when there clearly is corn in the pictures?
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Hari,
Thanks for visiting The Café. Regarding your question about the bruschetta, there is not corn in the Winter Market Bruschetta which is the recipe I shared yesterday. I don’t include corn in that recipe because it’s not in season. At the very end of the post, I wrote that I make a different bruschetta in the summer, my Farmer’s Market Bruschetta, and shared a picture of that one with a link to the recipe. That might be where you saw the corn. If you have nice corn, you could certainly add it to this recipe but I wanted to give a recipe for an appetizer that would include ingredients that are easy to find in the winter.
cheri says
Hi Chris, what a perfect appetizer for this time of year, love that it is fresh and healthy! This could be an entire meal for me.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm right with you on your last statement Cheri!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Another gorgeous bowl of colorful delicious vegetables Chris! . This would disappear in a minute at our house. Yummy 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Tricia! I love combining colors when I cook, don't you?
Maureen says
I've been making tomato and basil (with a touch of cilantro) bruschettas every few days. It's nice to see that when summer ends, I'll be able to keep up my habit. 🙂 This is beautiful to look at!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Maureen! In the summer, this is one of my "go to" appetizers, so extending it into the winter has been thrilling. We've had several Christmas get-togethers this past couple weeks, and everyone loves it!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
Your a poet. Feta Bruschetta. This sounds so delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
Ha Ha! Alliteration is my middle name Madonna! Not!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
I could eat that whole bowl, I love the idea of a winterized bruschetta!
Chris Scheuer says
Isn't it amazing how you can interchange things to meet the availability of the season? I love that!