Panzanella salad needs one easy technique and offers oh so many possibilities.
This Italian summer dish is traditionally made with stale bread and salted tomatoes. Taking from this inspiration I add additional ingredients and it's one of my go-to dishes when it feels too hot to cook during the late summer months.
It can be made gluten-free and dairy-free. With summer produce it bursts with flavor and I find it's quickly devoured by family (including the kids!) and friends alike.
There are two important points to know here and I'll give you tips on how to master both.
Choose (2) Ingredients You Like and Can Eat
This salad dates back hundreds of years and though many versions include ripe summer tomatoes, some of the earliest versions include lettuce and cucumber mixed with onion. Grilled eggplant or roasted asparagus are fantastic add-ins as well, or consider marinated artichokes with spinach and basil.
Choose ingredients that you like to eat over many new things in a recipe, especially for younger eaters.
My go-to option is tomato and cucumber with a hint of shallot and a good amount of basil. In the summer I might also add in some torn lettuce leaves for extra greenery. The recipe here can be modified to your audience and the season. The key here is the technique with the bread.
Toasting the Bread Ensures Maximum Flavor
The good news is it's not necessary to plan ahead and leave bread out to create stale bread. Not only does toasting ensure a better texture at the end, the even drying allows it to absorb maximum flavor.
Toast bread at 300 degrees for 15 minutes
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