Panzanella Salad

Not only is panzanella a wonderful way to use up semi-stale bread. It’s also a fantastic salad in its own right. Along with ciabatta croutons, the salad offers fresh veggies, mozzarella cheese, aromatic basil, and a garlic, mustard and red wine vinegar dressing. Filling enough to be the main course but versatile enough to be an appetizer or side dish in smaller portions, this salad never disappoints with its incredibly fresh and special flavors.

Panzanella is a delicious salad from Italy made with ciabatta bread cubes, fresh vegetables and a wonderful vinaigrette dressing.

Panzanella Salad Recipe

Servings: 2 large or 4 smaller servings 
Prep Time: 20 minutes 
Cook Time: 15 minutes 
Marinating Time: 30 minutes 
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 2 ciabattas, torn into 1-inch pieces (to make about 4 cups) 
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
• Salt, to taste 
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 
• 3 Persian cucumbers, diced 
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes or torn into pieces 
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar 
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375°F. 
2. Prepare the Ciabatta: Toss the ciabatta pieces with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 
3. Make the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined and emulsified. 
4. Prepare the Vegetables and Basil: Halve the cherry tomatoes. Thinly slice the red onion. Dice the Persian cucumbers. Finely chop the basil leaves. 
5. Assemble the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled ciabatta, prepared cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, and basil. Add the mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and gently toss to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated. 
6. Let it Marinate: Allow the salad to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature to let the bread soak up the dressing and the flavors to meld together. 
7. Serve: Check the seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, give the salad a final toss, and serve immediately.