Panzanella Salad
This Salad was inspired by all the beautiful Heirloom tomatoes I found at the Farmer’s Market last weekend. I love the punch of color from the tomatoes and peppers and the crispy sourdough chunks are the perfect addition to soak up the oil and vinegar. You’ll be making this one all year long.
This salad is packed with nutrients. Red and orange peppers are chock full of Vitamin C which plays an important role in a healthy immune system and is great for protecting your skin from the summer rays. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with reducing risk of certain cancers (particularly prostate) and protecting from heart disease.
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Panzanella Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Crispy pan fried bread soaking up the juice of fresh summer tomatoes, it doesn’t get much better than that. This is how you make friends with salad! I’ve included a few extra ingredients like avocado and colorful bell peppers for some extra satisfaction. Vegan option.
Ingredients
- 3 thick slices of sourdough bread (about 1 inch thick), cut into bite sized cubes
- 1 Tbsp butter (can sub for plant-based butter)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 1/2 tbsp for drizzling
- 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Fresh ground pepper and coarse salt to taste
- 2 cups assorted heirloom tomatoes (any tomatoes will do but these make it a lot prettier)
- 1 red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 yellow or orange pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup of basil, sliced thin + extra for garnishing
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat butter over medium heat. Once melted, add bread pieces and stir to cover with the butter. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Let the pieces brown, stirring every 3-5 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together garlic, 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each). Set aside.
- Combine tomatoes, peppers, avocado and basil in a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle with half of dressing and mix to combine. Place on a large serving platter.
- Once bread is nicely browned on all sides (15-20 minutes total) add to the plated salad. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing and additional olive oil if desired. Finish off with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Garnish with additional basil.
Enjoy!