Za’atar bruschetta recipe | bruschetta recipe
You’ll love these refreshing, Middle Eastern inspired za’atar bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives & fresh mint leaves. They are perfect as a starter, snack or as a party food!
This recipe is inspired by the popular za’atar manakeesh with vegetables (tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives & fresh mint leaves), our go-to meal at the malls when we lived in Dubai.
If you’re new to za’atar, za’atar is a herb that is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. Za’atar is traditionally dried in the sun and mixed with salt, toasted sesame seeds & other spices to make the za’atar spice mix. Since the herb can be difficult to find in some regions, it is also commonly made from dried thyme, oregano, sumac and sesame seeds. As with any spice blend, the recipes vary depending on what region they’re from, with each household having their own special blend. The za’atar spice is mixed with olive oil to make a paste that is spread on flattened dough (flatbread) and baked to make za’atar manakeesh, a popular breakfast food.
The za’atar spice blend is easily available in Middle Eastern grocery stores.
Why you’ll love these za’atar bruschetta
- a unique twist to bruschetta
- perfect starter/appetizer or finger food for a party & a great conversation starter
- simple but full of flavor
- quick & easy to make
- great as a refreshing snack
- vegan/vegetarian and can be gluten-free (if you find a good gluten-free bread)
Ingredients for za’atar bruschetta
With simple food, it’s very important to use quality & fresh ingredients. You need less than 10 ingredients to make this herby & refreshing bruschetta.
Bread – Use a crusty Italian bread or baguette. I recommend using plain white bread to allow the za’atar to shine.
Olive oil – use good quality extra virgin olive oil, first cold pressed for the best flavor.
Topping – The topping is also good as a refreshing salad on its own. Use ripe & juicy tomatoes, lebanese cucumber and fresh mint leaves.
For the olives, you can use either kalamata olives or even a mix of marinated olives. If using whole marinated olives, you’ll need to deseed and slice the olives.
How to make za’atar bruschetta
Step-by-step instructions with pictures & video
- Preheat oven
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 230°C or 450°F. Lowering the oven rack prevents the za’atar from burning and helps toast the bread from the underside. If the lower third position for the oven rack is not possible, then place the oven rack in the middle.
- Prepare the topping
Dice the tomato/tomatoes in small pieces (approx. 1 cm) and place it in a bowl.
Trim the ends of the cucumber, dice into small pieces (approx. 1 cm) & add it to the bowl. Do not peel the cucumber.
Add in the sliced olives, olive oil, lemon juice & salt.
Roughly tear the mint leaves with your hand (approx. 1.5 -2cm) and add them to the bowl. Gently toss to combine & let the topping mix marinate for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend in. Do not drain the juice that gets accumulated, it is full of flavor! We will drizzle this delicious juice over the topping later.
- Prepare the bread
Meanwhile, put the za’atar mix in a bowl and pour in the olive oil. Stir to make a paste. It might seem like a lot of olive oil, but it needs enough olive oil for the paste to be spread easily.
Slice the bread or baguette (1.5 cm thick). Spread each bread slice with the za’atar paste.
Place the slices on a baking tray and toast in the oven for about 3-5 minutes, depending on your oven & on the size of the bread. Check the bread around the 3-minute mark and toast longer as per preference. Remove from the oven and let the toasts cool down.
- Assemble
Pile topping onto the toasted bread, drizzle some of the delicious juice and serve immediately.
You can also make it DIY by serving a bowl of topping and toasted za’atar bread and let everyone make their own.
Making ahead
You can easily toast the za’atar bread a few hours in advance. The topping can be also made a couple of hours in advance but add the salt before serving (to avoid the topping becoming very watery).
Storage
If you have some leftover toasted za’atar bread, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store the salad topping separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring the bread to room temperature and reheat the bread on a frying pan or a griddle on low-medium flame before serving.
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Za’atar bruschetta recipe | bruschetta recipe
Equipment
- oven to toast
Ingredients
For the za’atar bread
- 4-5 slices of crusty Italian bread or 8-10 baguette slices (sliced 1.5 cm thick), refer to notes
- 4 tbsp za’atar spice mix
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (if possible, first cold pressed)
For the topping
- 1-2 medium-large ripe & juicy tomato/tomatoes (200-225 gms), diced small (approx. 1 cm)
- 1 lebanese cucumber (150-175 gms), unpeeled & diced small (approx. 1 cm)
- ¼-⅓ cup kalamata olives or marinated mixed olives, sliced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (if possible, first cold pressed)
- ¼-½ tsp salt (taste & adjust depending on the salt in olives)
- ½ lemon, juice of
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Preheat oven
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 230°C or 450°F. Lowering the oven rack prevents the za’atar from burning and helps toast the bread from the underside. If the lower third position for the oven rack is not possible, then place the oven rack in the middle.
Prepare the topping
- Dice the tomato/tomatoes in small pieces (approx. 1 cm) and place it in a bowl.
- Trim the ends of the cucumber, dice it into small pieces (approx. 1 cm) & add it to the bowl. Do not peel the cucumber.
- Add in the sliced olives, olive oil, lemon juice & salt.
- Roughly tear the mint leaves with your hand (approx. 1.5 -2cm) and add them to the bowl.
- Gently toss to combine & let the topping mix marinate for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend in. Do not drain the juice that gets accumulated, it is full of flavor! We will use this delicious juice to drizzle on the topping later. (This topping is also good as a refreshing salad on its own!)
Prepare the bread
- Meanwhile, put the za’atar mix in a bowl and pour in the olive oil. Stir to make a paste. It might seem like a lot of olive oil but it needs enough olive oil for the paste to be spread easily.
- Slice the bread or baguette (1.5 cm thick). Spread each bread slice with the za’atar paste.
- Place the slices on a baking tray and toast in the oven for about 3-5 minutes, depending on your oven & on the size of the bread. Check the bread around the 3-minute mark and toast longer as per preference.
- Remove from the oven and let the toasts cool down.
Assemble
- Pile topping onto the toasted za'atar bread, drizzle some of the delicious juice from the topping and serve immediately.
- You can also make it DIY by serving a bowl of topping and toasted za'atar bread and let everyone make their own.
Video
Notes
- 1 cup=250ml
- Calories information is approximate, calculated using online Recipe Calorie & Nutrition Calculator, calculated for 5 slices Italian bread.
- I recommend using plain white bread for the za’atar flavor to shine.
- Making ahead
- Storage