Panzanella Salad
With tomato season nearing it’s end, I wanted to make a hearty salad that wasn’t a typical Caprese. Last month we invested in a bread maker and it’s been really fun to make fresh bread a few days a week. Since there was a bit left over, I thought of making a Panzanella salad.
This is a fresh and super simple salad to make and can be modified in so many ways. Here is what I did!
2 or 3 cups of cubed bread - rustic Italian bread or a Ciabatta cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
2-3 lb ripe tomatoes I used vine ripe tomatoes, cut into small cubes
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 Small shallots or red onion peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup packed fresh basil torn
Fresh mozzarella - however much you like
3 tablespoons of capers
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes with large drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and Italian spices. I love 21 Salute from Trader Joes. Toss them up to make sure the bread is well coated. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake in heated oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. I prefer mine to be a bit crispier and chewy, so I made my cubes larger and baked them for 20 mins.
Mix red wine, olive oil, garlic, and Dijon into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add salt and pepper if you want to - I always wait until the end to salt my food.
Add the tomatoes, bread, shallots, basil and mozzarella then toss with the dressing. It’s best if it sits Allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes before serving!