Summer Panzanella Bread Salad
This is my summertime version of the classic Italian Panzanella Salad. I've added fresh slices of juicy peaches that add another layer of freshness and sweetness. Once you try it, I promise it will become your "go-to summer salad" too!
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 vine tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 fresh peach
- 1/4 English cucumber
- 1/2 baguette
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cut the baguette into bite-sized cubes.
- Toss the cubes with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Bake them in a 350° oven for 10 minutes until they are crispy. Remove them from the oven and let them cool at room temperature.
- Dice the cucumbers and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces that are similar in size to the bread cubes.
- Chiffonade 8 large basil leaves. Save some of the basil leaves to garnish the salad when you plate it.
- Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
- Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and toss them together.
- To serve, spoon the salad onto a large platter, slice the fresh peach and nestle slices into the salad and garnish it with small fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- I recommend serving this dish as soon as you toss all of the ingredients together. You want some of the bread to soak up the vinaigrette and some of it to stay crispy.
- You can prepare the salad ahead of time by having all of the tomatoes and cucumbers diced and tossed with the vinaigrette. Just add the bread and nestle the peaches when you are ready to serve it.
- I use a mixture of tomatoes because I like the firm texture yet the juicy center of the vine tomatoes and the extra sweetness of the cherry tomatoes.
- The salad is goo ice cold, but it's even better at room temperature.