Cooking for Wellness
Tomato Panzanella Salad
This simple, classic Italian salad is a mix of delicious, ripe, summer tomatoes and day old bread – the bread needs to be on the dry side to soak up all the tomato juices. I recommend using a hearty loaf for this, such as- whole wheat, sourdough, or country-style hearth bread. Heirloom tomatoes are perfect for this salad- look for a variety of colors and levels of sweetness.
Serves:
- 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
- 6 oz day-old whole wheat bread
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1⁄4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
- 1⁄2 cup basil leaves, torn
- 1-pound ripe tomatoes, any variety, cut into bite size pieces
- 3 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- In a small bowl cover the sliced shallots with boiling water. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Cut the whole wheat bread into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking tray. Toast in the oven, turning occasionally, until slightly golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While the croutons are baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice. Stir in the olives, basil, shallots and tomatoes.
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Toss the tomato mixture with the toasted bread and mixed salad greens. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.