bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade

Bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade is a great addition to al fresco brunches and dinners. It’s easy to make and a crowd-pleaser, too.

introduction to bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade recipe
This appetising dish can be served as a starter or at finger food buffets. It is best if it is marinated overnight, but if you don’t have time, that is also fine. It is tasty enough with lots of garlic.

bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade recipe:

Kalamata olives: I know what you’re thinking… they are salty. I get it but there is a way to get rid of the salt in brine. Soak the olives in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and pat dry. And then chopped them up.
Capers: They can be soaked and drained just like the olives but the moment you want to dry them; they may get squashed. Especially, organic ones do that a lot. Instead, you might just want to rinse and drain.
Green peppercorns in brine: These fellows are bit more robust compared to capers. So, rinse and dry. They’re ready to use.
Fresh basil: Don’t even think about substituting with dried basil. Dried basil is always a disappointment even if you’ve never tried fresh basil.
Cheese: Any type of cream cheese or cheese that can be spread on bread is fine. I tend to use cottage cheese in this recipe because the lightness of cottage cheese balances all the sharp flavours of Tapenade nicely. The other options are labneh, smooth feta or ricotta cheese.

some tips to make bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade recipe:
• The tapenade part of this recipe can be prepared ahead of time. It’s actually tastier this way because you give those flavours a chance to develop. Simply make it a day before and store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Easy!
• Make sure that you finely chop the ingredients (olives, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and capers) for tapenade.
• The bruschetta is nicest when grilled over an open flame like BBQ. If it is not possible for your bruschetta to meet its flame, grilling will do. You can still get that uneven, rustic look.

bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade recipe variations:
• You may want to skip the cream cheese altogether. Then it would be tapenade bruschetta.
• Add tomatoes to tapenade

This bruschetta with cream cheese & tapenade recipe is:
• So easy to make
• Gluten-free if you use gluten-free bread
• Soy-free
• Egg-free
• Dairy-free is you use vegan cheese such as Tofutti Cream Cheese
• Perfect for al fresco lunches, brunches or even dinners

Other summer recipes you’ll love:
Basque Eggs and Nectarine Salsa
Devilled Eggs with Avocado
Breaded Cauliflower with Garlic Yogurt and Burnt Chilli Dressing
Summertime Peach salsa

And now it’s time for the recipe…