Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 30 mins
Active: 5 mins
Makes: 8 servings
By Aida Mollenkamp
This salad is a great way to use up leftover or slightly stale bread. The original is typically made with red wine vinegar and the saltless bread found throughout Tuscany. Our version has a light lemon vinaigrette and cucumbers added for another dimension.
What to buy: Pull out your best extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe, as the quality becomes apparent after the first bite. We like to use McEvoy Ranch olive oil.
Game plan: This dish is destined for leftover heaven—it gets better the longer the flavors are allowed to infuse.
If you’re having a hard time tearing the bread, toast it for a few minutes until it is soft again.
This recipe was featured as part of our Cooling Off story.
- Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
- 9 cups day-old country bread, torn into large pieces
- 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, large dice
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced Tropea (red torpedo) onions (or a sweet onion such as Maui or Vidalia)
- 2 medium English hothouse cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into large dice
- 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces
- Combine 1/2 of the vinaigrette with all of the bread, toss to coat well, and set aside at room temperature to marinate for about 10 minutes.
- When the bread has marinated, add remaining vinaigrette and all other ingredients and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using clean hands, mix together until well incorporated. Let rest at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld, then serve at room temperature.
Beverage pairing: Fernleaf Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand. The brisk lime, lemon, and grassy herbaceousness of this Sauvignon Blanc make a good match with the sharp notes of lemon, basil, onion, and tomato in the salad, while the wine’s lively acidity and energy will favorably contrast with the soft bread.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
I made this last night. The salad was great, the Viaigrette too oily. In the future I would use a balsamic and add lemon and garlic.
Don't know on the balsamic, might overpower some of the other flavors. Traditionally, this salad is made with olive oil and some red wine vinegar.
I agree with MacArthur Mike. I sometimes toss in some bell peppers and/or fennel. It adds some crunch and with the fennel, a nice bright and fresh taste. I also like serving alongside it, if on hand, some good buffalo mozzarella drizzled with a good balsamic.
I make it with balsamic + lemon juice, yum. Also - don't forget to toast the bread, otherwise it's too soggy.
I'm traveling @ the moment, but one of my early Barefoot Contessa books has the best Panzanella recipes yet. I think it's in the "Parties" book (my favorite of all her books so far).
The above method looks to work well; however, for the bread I've done the following...
Heating good olive oil in a large sauté pan 1st, you add bread cubes and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
The now closed Raphaels in Providence RI would make me a special panzanella salad with grilled rosemary shrimp and fennel that was to die for...
SWEET! I have a huge loaf of stale garlicky bread. I didn't want to grind it all up into breadcrumbs. This is perfect!
When I make panzanella, I typically use balsamic vinaigrette and love it - don't find it too overpowering at all. Being a cheese fiend, I also typically add some grated fresh parmesan, which works really well. Another great variation (and a way to make it a complete meal) is to add some grilled chicken.
Hi, I'm tuscan and the real panzanella is made with stale bread that must be softened in cold water and then using your hands water must be squeezed out, add tomatoes, onions, cucumbers,basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil, plenty and some red wine vinegar. Extremely simple and fast to make but certainly tastes better as time goes by...
http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/blog/...