Panzanella Salad with Mozzarella
Servings: 10
Calories: 229kcal
This Panzanella Salad is the perfect way to use your abundance of tomatoes you may have this summer. Have stale bread on hand too? Perfect!!
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Ingredients
DRESSING:
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
SALAD:
- 1 large ciabatta or sourdough round
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large tomatoes (heirloom work very nice!), cut into large chunks
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 4 oz. (115g) fresh mozzarella pearls, (optional)
- 4-5 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (or more to your liking)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
DRESSING:
- In a small mason jar combine all dressing ingredients and shake well to combine. Set aside.
SALAD:
- Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bread is nicely dried but not burnt.
- In a large bowl combine remaining salad ingredients. Toss with bread and dressing. Let the salad rest for 20-30 minutes to let the flavors combine and the bread soak up all the juices. Toss occasionally with resting.
Notes
- Use an artisan bread, not regular sandwich bread. Ciabatta or rustic sourdough is perfect for this salad. French bread will also work but will become soggy quicker.
- Be sure to thoroughly dry your bread out or it will turn to mush.
- This salad can be made ahead of time. Up to 4 hours even. Just please be sure your bread is really dry if you plan on leaving it sit that long. I normally only leave mine for 20ish minutes. Mostly because we are ready to eat by then. Also, add the basil just before serving because it will turn brown.
- This salad tastes the best when using fresh vine-ripened tomatoes but store bought will do in a pinch. If you can find some at a local farmers market those would be better than store bought.
- I am adding in red onion and cucumber but feel free to add whatever vegetable you may have on hand. Bell peppers, fresh corn, zucchini.....
- This salad is best eaten on the same day it's made because once refrigerated the tomatoes will lose flavor.
- Nutrition Facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.2mg