Panzanella Salad
Panzanella was originally conceived as cucina povera, or poverty food. It was a peasant way of eating, meant to stretch pantries as far as they would go. With panzanella, the idea was to make the most of bread that had gone stale, by softening it up in oil and vinegar and serving it with juicy vegetables just pulled from the garden. It is simple, and filling, and economical.
Thankfully it's also beautiful and delicious. This harmonious meal synthesizes whatever kind of bread you need to use; in this recipe, we put tangy pumpernickel to the test, but it can also be home to sourdough, or a baguette, or even toasted cornbread or polenta. Ideally the bread should be a bit stale but if it isn't, just toast until it is dry and crusty. Choose summer vegetables bursting with flavor and you've got yourself a salad. You can even add some grilled chicken or tofu and enjoy it as a simple summer dinner.
- 2 cups bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Tuscany Bread Dipping Seasoning or Mild Tuscany Bread Dipping Seasoning
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in halves
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced
- 6 ounces good quality mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Toast bread cubes at 325 degrees until toasted, about 10-15 minutes. Allow the bread cubes to cool before adding them to the salad.
- In a small bowl, combine vinegar, shallot, olive oil, and Tuscany Bread Dipping Seasoning. Whisk together until fully incorporated.
- Let the mixture sit about 5 minutes to allow the dry spices to reconstitute.
- In a larger serving dish, add tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese.
- Pour vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Add cooled bread cubes, toss.
- Garnish with the salt.
- Serve.
