Caprese Toasts

Light, fresh, and loaded with flavor, these caprese toasts are a mouthwatering option when you're craving a quick and healthy bite to eat. Made with toasted rustic bread, drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic, then topped with melted mozzarella, slices of fresh tomato, and fragrant basil, this caprese toast recipe makes for a vibrant and delicious snack or meal!

Toast with fresh and flavorful ingredients

Often times when the early evening comes and I begin to get that nagging, hungry feeling in my belly, I'll look to see what kind of produce I have, and rummage through my deli drawer to come up with a quick, tasty, and light meal I can enjoy.

And here's my stipulation: this meal must be prepared with a minimal amount of effort, yet still bring as much flavor and satisfaction to me as possible. (What can I say? I get a little lazy in the evenings!)

There are many times when I toast up a simple slice or two of rustic sourdough bread, until golden, then rub a little garlic over it, and drizzle with olive oil. Sometimes I'll spread a bit of butter or my roasted garlic schmear for savory flavor. Then, I top the toasts with a few slices of fresh, juicy tomato, a liberal sprinkle of good sea salt, and call it "dinner".

Simple little "snack meals"—those easy, few-ingredient quick fixes—are probably my personal favorite way to eat, especially in the evenings.

And so I thought I'd share one of my favorite light meals here with you, these caprese toasts, prepared with all the tasty flavors we love in a classic caprese salad.

They're my idea of the perfect seasonal snack (or dinner, in my case), and are juicy, savory, fresh, and incredibly flavorful.

But best of all, they're easy to make, and healthy too!

My recipe for caprese toasts

This caprese toast recipe is super easy to put together with just a handful of ingredients, starting with some rustic bread, a clove or two of garlic, some olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and a few basil leaves as an aromatic garnish.

These toasts are basically like a caprese salad on bread, only a bit warm and gooey from the melted mozzarella.

I typically will eat one or two of these caprese toasts depending on how hungry I am, but they also make for a really cute little appetizer or finger food to pass around at a gathering if the toasts are cut on the bias for easy pick-up.

Here's a glance at my caprese toasts recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I drizzle or brush a touch of olive oil over my rustic bread.
2. I then place the bread on a sheet pan, and place it under the broiler just to toast the bread for a minute or two.
3. Next, I rub a clove of garlic over the toasted bread, then add a couple slices of whole milk mozzarella cheese.
4. I then return the toasts under the broiler to melt the cheese for a moment.
5. To finish, I add fresh tomato slices over the mozzarella, then drizzle with more oil or a bit of balsamic vinegar (if desired). I then sprinkle with salt before garnishing with fresh basil. And voila, dinner is done.

Recipe

Caprese Toasts

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These garlicky caprese toasts make for the perfect light and vibrant meal, brimming with melted mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian-American

Yield: 4 toasts

Nutrition Info: 320 calories (per toast)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices sourdough bread, or your choice of sturdy, rustic bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 ounces whole milk mozzarella, sliced thinly into about 8 slices (2 per toast)
• 8 to 12 slices of tomato (from about 2 large tomatoes)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Balsamic vinegar to drizzle (optional, as finishing touch)
• 1 small package fresh basil (leaves can be left whole, torn, or sliced thinly)

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Prepare a sheet pan with foil, and turn your oven on to the "broil" setting (you can also use a larger countertop toaster oven for this, as well).
3. Place the slices of bread onto the baking sheet, and brush each with a little of the olive oil. Then, broil the bread for a couple of minutes just until golden-brown.
4. Remove the toast from oven and rub about half of a clove worth of the garlic over each slice. Next, top each slice of bread with two slices of the mozzarella. Place back under the broiler for a couple of minutes until the mozzarella is melted and becoming golden-brown on top. Remove from oven.
5. To finish, top with about 2 to 3 tomato slices, a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (if using). Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves, and enjoy!

Tips & Tidbits for my caprese toasts recipe:

• Fresh tomatoes of your choice: Heirloom tomatoes are really delicious (and pretty!) on these toasts. So choose firm, larger tomatoes, and use any color you'd like, or even a combo!
• Rustic, sliced bread: I love sliced sourdough or a rustic Italian bread for this recipe. But you can use whatever variety you prefer. Just make sure it is sturdy enough to rub on the garlic cloves once toasted, so that it won't tear.
• Whole milk mozzarella for good meltability: I find that whole milk mozzarella (not the kind packed in water) works perfectly. It produces a really great "melt", nice and stringy. Fresh mozzarella would work fine, too. Just be sure to pat it dry of its brine so you don't end up with soggy toast.
• Fresh garlic cloves: Use peeled, fresh garlic cloves for these toasts. Fresh garlic is easier to rub over top, and control how much garlic you're getting. The freshness is nice and flavorful, too!

Hungry for more light recipes? Check out my recipe for Avocado Toast, Stuffed Avocado with Shrimp Ceviche, Grilled Eggplant Parmesan, my Tomato Tart recipe, my recipe for Mushroom Toast, or even my colorful Tomato Toast with Mozzarella recipe!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!