Panzanella: The Italian Salad That Makes Summer Better

When summer hits and tomatoes are overflowing in the garden, there’s no better way to use them than with a fresh Panzanella salad. This classic Tuscan bread salad brings together juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and day-old bread for a dish that’s both simple and bursting with flavor.

Don’t have stale bread? No problem. Toasting fresh ciabatta with olive oil and garlic gives it the perfect texture and adds even more flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ciabatta Rolls, halved
• 1/2 lb. Cocktail Tomatoes, quartered
• 4 oz. Ciliegine Mozzarella, halved
• 4 oz. Green Olives, pitted and halved
• 3 Cucumbers, cubed
• 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Serrano Pepper, chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, pressed
• 9 Basil Leaves
• 5 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F with rack in middle position.

Meanwhile, press the garlic and place in a small bowl. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and mix.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, place the ciabatta bread halves, cut side up, and brush the garlic and oil mixture on top of each half. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown and crispy, about fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onion thinly, cube the cucumbers, halve the mozzarella balls, chop the hot pepper, halve the olives, quarter the tomatoes and place it all in a large salad bowl. Rip up the basil leaves and add them to the bowl.

Once the bread is ready, remove from the oven and let cool off a bit. Cut the bread into cubes. You may only need three of the halves, depending on the amount of bread you prefer in the salad. Add the bread cubes into the salad bowl.

Season with sea salt, black pepper, vinegar and olive oil. Mix slowly as to not break the tomatoes apart and serve.