Panzanella Salad

6 standard portions

Source field check · Original source retained

View original recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups (6 ounces, 180g) 1-inch bread cubes (crusty, medium-dense bread such as sour dough, French, or Italian)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
• 1 pound tomatoes (cut into ½-inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon of table salt)
• ½ red onion (thinly sliced, or use 5 sliced green onions)
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves (coarsely chopped)
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls (sliced if desired)
• 8 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
• 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic (minced, about 2 teaspoons)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Add the tomatoes to a colander fitted onto a bowl, and salt them with two teaspoons of coarse salt . Allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes to “sweat”.
3. Add bread to a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss until coated. Bake for 15 minutes shaking twice until the bread is crisp but not browned (we are not making croutons). Allow to cool before adding to the salad.
4. To make the viniagrette, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl along with the tomato juice that was produced when sweating the tomatoes. You can also add the ingredients to a jar with a lid and shake until it's well mixed.
5. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, with cooled bread, red onion, mozzarella pearls, and basil. Dress the salad and gently toss.
6. Allow the salad to sit for 20 minutes before serving tossing once or twice to help the bread absorb the dressing.