Tuscan Panzanella Salad
Belinda Masters
During our dream-like cooking class in the Chianti region of Tuscany, the bread and tomato salad was kept very simple by using only the freshest ingredients, all sourced either on the property or very close to the town. I've embellished the original recipe a bit, but kept freshly baked bread and tomatoes as the starts of the dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Resting time 30 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
- 1 large loaf rustic Italian bread (cubed) 8 cups
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 24 ounces Fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges or large chunks
- 2 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) is the best
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced very thin
- 1 large English style, seedless cucumber, cut lengthwise and then sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced chiffonade
Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp white wine/champagne vinegar
- leftover juice from after salting the tomatoes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground white or black pepper
Preheat oven to 350
Cut loaf of bread into approximately one in size cubes...better yet...rip them into small pieces (this is a rustic dish afterall)
Toss bread cubes in 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Spread on large jelly roll pan and bake in 350 oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, cut up fresh tomatoes and place them in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle tomato with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, stir and leave them to drain while you prepare everything else...at least 15 minutes or so.
Slice red onion and place in a bowl of ice water. Letting them sit and soak for 10 - 15 minutes will pull out the harshness of the onion. Drain and reserve.
In a very large bowl, combine the bread, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers and basil by stirring gently.
To make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl use a whisk to combine the lemon juice, vinegar and tomato juices. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and add additional salt and pepper. Whisk again.
Pour vinaigrette over bread and vegetable salad. Toss gently. Allow to sit 30 minutes before serving.
This original, rustic dish was just a way to use up leftover bread, extra tomatoes and onions. You can add a variety of additional things like cucumber, artichoke hearts, sweet peppers, capers, etc. But be careful not to overload on too many veggies. The bread and the tomatoes should be the star of this rustic salad.
Everything must be FRESH...meaning real lemons, real fresh basil, etc...etc...
If you haven't started using DIAMOND CRYSTAL KOSHER SALT...you must. Trust me when I say that it is the preferred salt for the majority of professional chefs I follow for a reason. Yes...salts taste different and are harvested in a variety of ways.
I have found that the reason Italian food in Italy is so outstanding is that they use the best quality, freshest, locally grown/farmed ingredients in the simplest of ways. They don't use fancy techniques or spices and herbs to make bland ingredients taste better...all of their ingredients taste great on their own.
As a home gardener, it kills me to have to purchase basil, cucumber and tomatoes in the off season. However, if you have to purchase tomatoes in the winter, choose COMPARI tomatoes. They are the ONLY tomatoes I can get in the Midwest that actually taste marginally fresh. Most large grocery stores carry these. Keyword Panzanella, Bread, Tomato, Onion, Basil, Olive Oil