Panzanella Recipe

I love salad … in theory. I love the idea of salad. Especially in the warmer months when heavier fare that I usually never say no to, like meaty sandwiches and hearty stews, seem like too much. I picture a bowl full of fresh vegetables and maybe grains or a grilled chicken breast, all tossed in a delicious dressing. However, even though that sounds great, it somehow seems like not enough. Oftentimes I find myself caught between this vision of something fresh and light and my worries that a salad won’t fill me up for a meal so I should eat something hearty enough to feel “fulfilling.” Enter: panzanella salad. 

The two main ingredients in this hearty Italian salad are some of my all time favorites — juicy, ripe tomatoes and crusty bread. Add in some cucumbers for freshness and crunch, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese, all tossed in a quick vinaigrette and you’ve got a salad that hits all the marks. It’s full of summery, fresh flavor, it’s not too heavy, and it’s hearty enough to eat as a meal all on its own. 

• It’s super filling. This salad is chock full of tomatoes, crusty bread, mozzarella, and cucumbers. It’s hearty and satisfying. The fill-you-up salad of my dreams!
• It comes together quickly. While the bread is toasting in the oven, you can prepare the rest of the salad ingredients, including the dressing. Then just toss everything together. You can have salad on the table in roughly 20 minutes from start to finish.
• It’s full of summery flavors. Juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, shallots, garlic, and sherry vinegar come together to make a vibrant salad. Crusty bread soaks up both the flavorful vinaigrette and the tomato juices to give the whole salad texture and heft.

• Crusty bread: Look for a rustic loaf with a good crust. I like ciabatta for this recipe, but you can also use a loaf of sourdough or even a rustic white bread. Avoid breads that are too soft or have thin crusts as they will get too soggy in the dressing.
• Tomatoes: This is a salad to showcase the best tomatoes you can find. Look for ripe, juicy slicing tomatoes like beefsteak or heirloom varieties.
• Mozzarella cheese: Fresh mozzarella is ideal for this salad; if it’s packed in water, pat it dry with paper towels before tearing into pieces. You can substitute 8 ounces of bocconcini or perlini mozzarella which can be tossed into the salad whole.
• English cucumber: Cucumbers add freshness and crunch. Stick to English cucumbers here, which don’t need to be seeded or peeled.
• Shallot and garlic: These punchy aromatics are the backbone of the flavorful vinaigrette.
• Basil: Fresh basil gives the salad an herby, fresh flavor. 

1. Toast the bread. Tear or slice the bread into bite-sized pieces and toast in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
2. Chop the salad ingredients. Chop tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, and garlic. Tear the mozzarella cheese and basil into bite-size pieces.
3. Make the dressing. Stir together shallot, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Toss and serve. Add the chopped vegetables and toasted bread to the large bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Serve!

• You can substitute soft Italian, rustic sourdough, or a French baguette for the ciabatta. 
• You can substitute red wine vinegar for sherry vinegar. 
• You can swap about 1/2 sliced sweet onion for 1 medium shallot.

This makes a lot, and while it tastes good after sitting for an hour or so (which lets the bread soak up the dressing), if you let it sit for too long, the bread will get soggy. Halve the recipe if you don’t want too many leftovers.

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