Panzanella is the perfect summer salad to serve with anything – a piece of grilled fish, chicken, steak, shrimp… burgers, kebabs, sandwiches, anything. The homemade croutons just slightly soak in the vinaigrette. So good.
When produce season is in full swing, it is great to have a recipe that utilizes the vegetables that look great at the farmers markets – this was our loot from last weekend.
When I saw all of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the market, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them….
It uses the best summer vegetables & herbs (peppers, tomatoes & basil – you can add cucumbers, too). The best part is all you have to do is chop vegetables, stir together a dressing and make croutons – which, by the way, is much easier than you’d think!
Heirloom Tomato Panzanella
Croutons :
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small loaf of good bread (6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Sea Salt & Pepper
Vegetables :
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound of tomatoes (I used heirloom tomatoes)
1 yellow bell pepper
1/4 red onion
4 large basil leaves
3 cups of arugula
Dressing :
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon
3 tablespoons White Wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For Croutons :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 7-10, tossing after ever couple of minutes until slightly browned.
For the Vegetables : Cut the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut onion into thin slices. Add all of the vegetables to a bowl along with chopped fresh basil.
For the Dressing : Whisk together dressing ingredients with a fork. Pour over vegetables. Add croutons just before serving.
