Panzanella Salad
Full of fresh juicy tomatoes and basil, panzanella salad is a wonderful way to celebrate summer. This easy bread salad is perfect for entertaining or a light lunch.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided use
- 1 pound rustic bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Core and seed tomatoes. Chop into 1-inch chunks and place into a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and let rest.
- Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Bake for 15 minutes, until toasted. Let cool.
- Slice red onion into half or quarter moons.
- Slice basil by stacking the leaves and rolling into a log. Slice thinly.
- Transfer the toasted bread to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, reserving accumulated juices. Add the onion and basil to the bread.
- To make the dressing, strain seeds from tomato juices. Add olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk until blended and emulsified.
- Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add remaining dressing to taste.
- Let rest 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
Notes
- You will need about 6 cups of bread cubes for this recipe. Save any remaining cubes to use as croutons.
