Prep 45min
Panzanella is a hearty Tuscan salad and one of my favorites – especially in summer when tomatoes are at their very best.
It is made with stale or toasted bread cubes that are tossed with ripe tomatoes, red onions and fresh basil seasoned in an olive-oil vinaigrette. But first let’s get one thing straight: Panzanella is not a tomato salad with bread; it’s a bread salad flavored with tomatoes and because there are so few ingredients, it is important to get each one right.
The first is the bread that soaks up the tomatoey garlicky dressing and provides the sustenance. It is essential you get good quality unsliced white bread like a Ciabatta or a Baguette that you can cut into bite size chunks. You can either leave the chunks out for a couple of days to get stale or you can bake them in the oven which I prefer. You get that golden brown toasty color and flavor.
An important secret to a good Panzanella is using the juice of the ripe tomatoes as part of the dressing. Salting tomatoes draws out tomato juice, which makes each piece of tomato more flavorful. The liquid that gets pulled from the tomatoes is whisked into the vinaigrette which gives the salad an ambient tomato flavor and color. To get that result, your tomatoes must be firm, ripe and fleshy. You can choose from heirloom or beefsteak, tomatoes but not roma tomatoes because they are less fleshy and more suited to cooking than for use in salads.
With the right tomatoes and bread the vinaigrette flavorings are simple. Some finely diced red onions and a generous portion of minced garlic work well together. As for the vinegar itself, the choice is up to you. White or red wine vinegar work as well as my favorites, sherry and white balsamic vinegar.
Then comes the soaking time. You want the bread and other ingredients to settle down and absorb all of each others juices and flavors but not to the extent that the bread gets soggy. You want both crunch and flavor and I found that letting the ingredients soak into the bread for 10-15 minutes will give you the perfect result.
With a little practice and some good time management, this salad can be prepped in less than 45 minutes and you will be amply rewarded. This classic is substantial enough to eat on its own as a light lunch or supper or as satisfying side dish with any grilled meat or poultry.
Classic Panzanella Salad
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
As a main course salad
- 2 cups ciabatta or rustic bread, cut into 1 1/2–inch cubes
- 2 cups ripe tomatoes cut into bite size pieces (Ripe Heirloom, beefsteak and salad tomatoes work. But they must all be ripe otherwise they will not release their juice to make the dressing).
- 2 tspn kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5-6 tsp vinegar White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar work. Amount you use for the dressing depends on the acidity of each vinegar you use. You can always adjust amounts of oil and vinegar before you add the bread and tomatoes.
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic. minced
- ¾ cup Washed and dried basil leaves, very roughly chopped. (See prepping instructions below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (180°C) and adjust rack to center position. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with a drizzle of olive enough to coat them. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes, until crisp and a golden color. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Place chopped tomatoes in a colander set over a bowl and season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature to drain, tossing occasionally, while you bake the bread and prep the other ingredients. Drain for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- Remove colander with tomatoes from bowl and leave in the sink.
- To the drained tomato juice in the bowl, add the onion, garlic and 5-6 tsp vinegar. Drizzle and whisk in a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper and adjust amount of oil and vinegar to your liking.
- Prep the washed and dried basil by bunching up the leaves and with a knive, make 3-4 cuts rough cuts across the leaves. You want to end up with large pieces of basil.
- Combine toasted bread, tomatoes, and dressing in a large bowl. Add basil leaves. Toss everything to coat and season with salt and pepper. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally until the dressing is absorbed by the bread.
Nutrition
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