Panzanella Salad
Dina Deleasa Gonsar is a cookbook author, podcast host, lifestyle television personality, and creator of "DishItGirl." Her debut cookbook, At the Kitchen Sink, came out this past April. You may see her cooking on the Today Show recently, or spotted her on Guy's Grocery Games. However, her favorite place to be is in her kitchen cooking Sunday dinner for her family.
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The Italian answer to the loaf you forgot about on the counter.
This salad is full of fresh vegetables and tossed in a red wine vinegar based dressing. Panzanella salad is a classic Italian Bread salad that gets better as it sits and soaks in the dressing. It uses the best of late summer early fall produce, with fresh tomatoes and basil throughout. If you have stale crusty bread leftover from a bakery visit or the weekend, do not toss it, make Panzanella! Salting the tomatoes over a colander does double duty here, seasoning them while collecting the juice that goes straight into the vinaigrette.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 350 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5g |
| Carbs | 25g |
| Fat | 26g |
Ingredients
For the Salad
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp |
|---|---|
| Stale Italian bread or French baguette, cubed | 5 cups |
| Kosher salt | 1 tsp |
| Large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes | 2 |
| Cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced (about ½-inch slices) | 1 |
| Red onion, thinly sliced into half moons | ½ cup |
| Fresh basil, roughly chopped | ¼ cup |
For the Vinaigrette
| Olive oil | ½ cup |
|---|---|
| Red wine vinegar | ⅓ cup |
| Strained tomato juice | 2 tbsp |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tbsp |
| Honey | ½ tbsp |
| Garlic cloves, minced | 2 |
| Kosher salt | 1 tsp |
| Black pepper | ½ tsp |
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Toast the bread
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Tear bread into about 1-inch pieces and spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Toss them in olive oil and salt. Bake for about 25-30 min or until toasted throughout. Set aside.
2 Salt and drain the tomatoes
Meanwhile cut the tomato into 1 inch cubes and place them in a colander over a bowl to strain the juices. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let them sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients for the salad (about 10-15 minutes).
3 Build the base
In a large bowl add the cucumbers, onion, and half of the bread cubes.
4 Whisk the vinaigrette
In a small bowl whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette until emulsified.
5 Dress and toss
Pour vinaigrette over the top of the salad. Toss gently to coat. Add the tomatoes, basil, and the rest of the bread cubes and gently toss again.
6 Serve
Serve on a larger oval platter or salad bowl.
Notes & Tips
- Additions: Other great additions to this salad would be to toss in olives or roasted red peppers.
- Tomatoes matter: Use really ripe tomatoes. If you are really wanting this salad in the “off” season you can use cherry tomatoes or search out more seasonal produce like fennel or radishes to add to the mix.
- Timing: This salad is best the day of. However, let it sit in the dressing to let the flavors absorb, about 20 minutes before serving.
Dina Deleasa Gonsar is a cookbook author, podcast host, lifestyle television personality, and creator of "DishItGirl." Her debut cookbook, At the Kitchen Sink, came out this past April. You may see her cooking on the Today Show recently, or spotted her on Guy's Grocery Games. However, her favorite place to be is in her kitchen cooking Sunday dinner for her family.
