Tomato Basil Recipe

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tomato and basil on flatbread

This tomato basil recipe is simplicity itself.


You can serve it on any flatbread (as here) for a main course or bruschetta as a starter - unless you've got a huge appetite of course!

The bruschetta would be great for serving as part of a buffet meal - great for a party.


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It's really quick to make and put together.

Please see the notes at the bottom for Cook's Tips to help you.

To serve 2 as a main or 4 as a starter:

  • 1 1/2 Cups/12 oz/335g ripe tomatoes (see TIPS)
  • bunch fresh basil - leaves picked off
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 flat bread - eg pitta, naan or any type (main)
  • 8 thin slices crusty loaf eg french stick (starter)
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled


First of all chop up your tomatoes, put them into a bowl, season with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Give them a stir round and leave to rest whilst you prepare the basil dressing.

Chop the majority of the basil finely - leave a few leaves whole to garnish if you like.

Put around 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and chopped basil into a bowl. Whisk well to combine.(See TIPS)

Toast the bread - either under a grill or on a griddle.

Rub the bread with the garlic cloves and brush on some olive oil.

Put the bread(s) onto serving plates and pile the tomatoes on. There should be some lovely juice in the bottom of the bowl, so share this round by spooning on top.

Drizzle with the basil dressing and serve immediately.

This will taste sooooo good!


Herb Tips

COOK'S TIPS for Tomato Basil Recipe

  • You will need fresh, ripe tomatoes - I've used cherry tomatoes here, but you can use a mixture of red, yellow and orange, plum, cherry, beefsteak or salad. The choice is yours, but make sure they are ripe otherwise there will not be much taste.
  •  If you plan a few days ahead, you can buy them and let them ripen at home.
  • If you find your tomatoes are a bit tasteless, then try a pinch of sugar - yes, just ordinary white granulated sugar - added to them at the initial step. Just sprinkle a quarter teaspoon over them, stir to distribute it and then leave them to rest.
  • Bring the tomatoes to room temperature from the fridge before you serve or once again, you will rob them of their taste.
  • If you have home grown tomatoes, then pick them from the vine while they're warm from the sun!
  • To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a screw top jar and give them a good shake. Easier to do and you have somewhere to store any surplus.

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This tomato basil recipe is simplicity itself. You can serve it on any flatbread (as here) for a main course or bruschetta as a starter - unless you've got a huge appetite of course! The bruschetta would be great for serving as part of a buffet meal - great for a party..





Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4

Main Ingredient: basil, tomatoes

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