Crostini with marinated tomatoes and whipped feta
Crisp crostini topped with herb whipped feta and juicy marinated tomatoes is a delicious summer appetizer or easy, make-ahead lunch.
Ingredients
Crostini are very easy to make and require only two ingredients.
- Ciabatta. I love using ciabatta bread for crostini but baguette is also often used. Crostini is great to make with stale bread that needs using.
- Extra-virgin olive oil.
Toppings for crostini:
I topped the crostini with whipped feta and my marinated tomatoes but here are a few more crostini topping ideas:
- Basil pesto.
- Prosciutto.
- Cheese: Goat cheese, mozzarella, blue cheese, cream cheese,
- Fresh tomatoes.
- Smoked salmon.
- Olive tapenade.
- Balsamic glaze.
- Honey.
- Spinach artichoke dip.
How to make crostini
Slice Ciabatta bread into slices with a sharp serrated knife then brush with olive oil. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet then broil for a few minutes per side until crisp and golden. Alternatively you can cook the bread in a hot pan or skillet until toasted.
To serve, top each crostini with a generous dollop of whipped feta and spread over the surface of the bread. Add a few marinated tomatoes and drizzle over a little of the marinade. Garnish with fresh basil and flaky sea salt before serving.
Can I make crostini ahead?
Crostini can be toasted and kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If the bread is a little soft, simply toast under a preheated broiler for a few minutes until crisp. You can use frozen bread for crostini so slice the bread you want to use and freeze then toast from frozen before topping with your favorite toppings.
FAQ
Crostini and bruschetta are very similar (bread topped with a selection of toppings) but crostini is most often a thinner piece of bread where bruschetta is thicker and more rustic.
Melba toast is very thin, toasted and dry whereas crostini is thicker slices of fresh bread brushed with olive oil and toasted.
`Crostini should be crisp and toasted on the outside and slightly soft on the inside.
Easy appetizer recipes
Ingredients
For the crostini
- sliced ciabatta bread
- olive oil for brushing
For the whipped feta
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ¾ cup cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp parsley roughly chopped
- ½ tsp oregano
- salt and black pepper to taste
To serve
- marinated cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut a small cross at the base of each tomato then add to the boiling water and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Prepare a bowl of ice water and once the skins on the tomatoes start to shrivel, remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place into the bowl of ice water.
- The skins will start to slip off and you can easily remove them. Discard the skins and place the tomatoes in a large jar along with your preferred herbs, garlic and chilli.
- Combine olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour the marinade over the tomatoes. Seal the jar and gently tilt to cover the tomatoes in marinade. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the whipped feta, combine feta cheese, cream, lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Mix until the cheese is relatively smooth and creamy.
- Slice Ciabatta into slices then brush with olive oil. Toast in a hot pan until golden on both sides.
- Top each crostini with a generous dollop of whipped feta and spread over the surface of the bread. Add a few marinated tomatoes and drizzle over a little of the marinade. Garnish with fresh basil and flaky sea salt before serving.