Panzanella Salad

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This salad is hearty enough to be a main course but ever so light and refreshing! Crunchy cucumbers, pickled onions, and lots of fresh tomatoes paired with super-crispy homemade brioche croutons make for an amazing dish.

What Kind of Bread is Used for Panzanella?

The bread usually used for panzanella is stale dried bread, which is then rehydrated with that delicious dressing. My version uses brioche bread for a more light and crispy melt in your mouth experience.

How do you Make Panzanella Croutons?

Cut the crusts off of the brioche loaf. Cut into cubes and put on a baking pan. Drizzle the olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350F. Toss croutons half way through baking.

You could also do this on the stovetop. Just toss frequently over medium high heat.

A Few Tips for Panzanella

• ANY bread will work for this salad and if your wondering, a stale french bread is probably the most popular as it holds its structure and absorbs all that dressing.
• You can add butter lettuce, rocket or almost any mixed green to this salad.
• If making ahead just mix all the main ingredients except the dressing and croutons then add those at the last moment and toss.

Steps to Make Panzanella Salad

How do you Make Panzanella?

1. For the Salad; cut the crusts off of the brioche loaf. Cut into cubes and put on a baking pan. Drizzle the olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350F. Toss croutons half way through baking.
2. Chop up half of the red onion and transfer it to a bowl. Pour in the white wine vinegar to allow the onions to marinate.
3. With the cucumbers, start off by cutting them in half and deseeding them with a teaspoon. Now slice them depending on personal preference.
4. Chop the tomatoes into cubes. You can choose to cut them into large or small cubes, whichever you desire.
5. For the Dressing; add all of the ingredients into a jar and shake it up. Make sure to crush up the oregano and thyme and mince the shallot.
6. For the Assembly; In a large bowl with the cucumbers, tomatoes and marinated onions, crumble up and add the feta cheese. Add the croutons, pour on the dressing and give the salad a toss. You can top with some more fresh oregano if you’d like, or basil.

If you’ve tried this salad then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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5 from 4 votes

Panzanella

A delicious Tuscan salad featuring homemade croutons, garden fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and feta, all brought together with a zingy herbal dressing.

Course Appetizer, lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Tuscan

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Calories 210kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

• loaf of brioche
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 cucumbers
• 3-4 heirloom tomatoes
• 1/4 lb feta cheese 113g
• 2 tbsp olive oil 30mL
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 118mL
• oregano to top
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil 118mL
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 30mL
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 2 tsp fresh oregano crushed
• 1 tsp fresh thyme crushed
• 1 shallot minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Salad

• Cut the crusts off of the brioche loaf. Cut into cubes and put on a baking pan. Drizzle the olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350F. Toss croutons half way through baking.
• Chop up red onion. Put into a bowl with the white wine vinegar to marinate.
• Cut cucumbers in half and deseed with a teaspoon. Slice them depending on personal preference.
• Chop tomatoes into cubes. (Large or small depending on preference).

For the Dressing

• Add all of the ingredients into a jar and shake it up. Make sure to crush up the oregano and thyme and mince the shallot.

For the Assembly

• In a large bowl, toss the chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and marinated onions.
• Crumble up and add feta cheese. Give the salad a toss and sprinkle on some more oregano.
• Add the croutons, pour the dressing on and toss the salad again.

Video

Notes

• ANY bread will work for this salad and if your wondering, a stale french bread is probably the most popular as it holds its structure and absorbs all that dressing.
• You can add butter lettuce, rocket or almost any mixed green to this salad.
• If making ahead just mix all the main ingredients except the dressing and croutons then add those at the last moment and toss.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2.3g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 6.6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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