Focaccia Dip (Fresh Tomato Bruschetta Dipping Sauce)
A fresh-tasting dip with bold bruschetta flavors, suitable for vegans and vegetarians, with much less oil than the usual focaccia dipping sauces. Make it in minutes, although for optimal results, chill for twenty minutes to allow the flavors to really meld.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 70kcal
Ingredients
- 6 Tomatoes Ripe plum or vine-ripened regular tomatoes.
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1.5 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil Extra virgin or virgin.
- ¾ teaspoon Salt Regular finely ground table salt.
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper Freshly ground or cracked.
- 0.7 ounces Fresh basil Separate stems and leaves.
Instructions
- Roughly deseed the tomatoes by slicing off the sides and bottom of the tomatoes and throwing away the fleshy interior and seeds. It doesn't matter if a few seeds get in.
- Peel the garlic and add it to a food processor or blender along with the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and basil stems. Two cloves of garlic give a strong, spicy taste; if you're not sure, try adding one first.
- Blend until smooth or pulse until chunky (but with fine chunks, not huge ones that will fall off your focaccia). Taste and see whether you would like to add the second clove or not (be brave! Focaccia needs some strong flavors). Personally, I prefer it smooth and creamy, as the focaccia soaks it up better.
- Finely chop the basil leaves and mix them into the sauce.
- For optimal flavors, refrigerate covered for at least 20 minutes.
- Serve as is or drizzle extra oil, sprinkle extra black pepper, and add some baby basil leaves or more chopped basil on top.
Notes
- Make sure your tomatoes are ripe! If they are slightly unripe, you may need to add a pinch or two of sugar.
- I don't recommend using canned tomatoes, but if you must, use whole, high-quality ones and discard the extra juice in the can.
- If you don't have a blender or a food processor, you can use a stick blender in a narrow, deep bowl or Tupperware container.
- Don't serve the focaccia in the dip, as it will get soggy quickly, since this is not an oil-based sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg