Crostini originally come from Italy, but are now very popular not only there. The hearty breads are quick to make and versatile. You can find four variants here.
Crostini are a dish of Italian cuisine and are served there as antipasti, i.e. light starters. The classic basic recipe consists of thin slices of bread that are drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with fresh garlic. The bread is often baked in a pan in oil until crispy and then rubbed with garlic. Crostini are great as uncomplicated finger food for parties, but are also a great side dish for a barbecue or a delicious snack in between.
The basic recipe can be varied in many ways. You can top the bread with anything you like. In this article we will show you four delicious variants – all of them are vegetarian or vegan. The recipes only list the ingredients for the topping. You always need bread, olive oil and garlic. Tip: Thinly sliced country or farmer’s bread or mixed bread is best. But you can also easily use spelled or rye bread or very light bread.
Important: Buy the ingredients for your crostini in organic quality and, if possible, regionally. You should pay more attention to this, especially with dairy products such as cheese and ricotta as well as fruit and vegetables. Not only do you avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides, you also support sustainable agriculture and animal welfare. You can certainly find many of the ingredients at a weekly market near you.
Crostini with green pesto and tomatoes
The first crostini recipe is just the thing for pesto lovers: inside and also vegan. In addition to bread, olive oil, and garlic, you will need:
a jar of green pesto,
a few fresh cocktail tomatoes or dried tomatoes
as well as salt and pepper.
As described above, simply toast the loaves in olive oil for a few minutes and rub them with a halved clove of garlic. Then spread the pesto on the crostini, cover them with a few halved cocktail tomatoes and season everything with salt and pepper.
Tip: Of course you can also use any other pesto for the crostini, for example red pesto. Mozzarella can also be combined well with pesto and tomatoes. If you want, you can spread a few thin slices of it on the bread.
Crostini with ricotta, basil and vegan parmesan
The second variant is a real classic. All you need for this are:
a pack of ricotta or vegan ricotta substitute,
fresh basil
and some vegan parmesan.
Scatter a generous spoonful of ricotta, a few basil leaves, and some freshly grated parmesan onto the toasted and garlic-rubbed loaves.
FYI: You can of course also use normal Parmesan cheese for this recipe. But you should keep in mind that Parmesan is not vegetarian because it is made with animal rennet. Hard cheese without animal rennet or a homemade vegan Parmesan are suitable alternatives.
Tip: If you don’t like ricotta, you can use (vegan) cream cheese just as well.
Crostini with hummus and mushrooms
The next recipe has a slightly less Italian touch. Instead, it combines oriental hummus with mushrooms. you need for that
Hummus of your choice
as well as fresh or pickled mushrooms.
You can also vary with the hummus. If you’re bored with plain hummus, you can try paprika hummus, beetroot hummus, or tomato hummus. Simply slice the mushrooms and spread them over the hummus.
Crostini with brie, apple and honey
You can prepare crostini with all sorts of cheeses. Whether mozzarella, goat’s cheese or Brie – cheese is always a good choice when it comes to crostini. As a last variant, we will show you a slightly more unusual one that combines savory and sweet. All you need for this are
a pack of brie,
2-3 apples (or more depending on the amount of bread slices)
and some honey.
You simply cut the brie into thin slices and spread it on the bread. You can also cut the apple into thin slices or small cubes. Finally, drizzle the honey over the crostini.
By the way: You can also replace the brie with a vegan cheese alternative. You can buy these, but you can also make them yourself. For example, try this recipe: Make vegan cheese yourself: Recipe for cashew cranberry cheese. Instead of honey, you can use agave syrup or homemade apple syrup. You can also use pears instead of apples.
