Panzanella Salad | Recipes | PBS Food

The most delicious use for stale bread ever! Prepare the croutons in advance and the panzanella comes together in a flash. A perfect and satisfying hot weather meal. Use only fresh mozzarella in the salad, not the kind you’d use in lasagna. To make a meal out of the salad, add tuna or hard-boiled egg.

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Yield: 6-8 servings

    Ingredients

  • Ingredients for Salad
  • 1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans cooked
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives halved
  • 1 cup red onion diced
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cubed
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil chiffonade
  • Ingredients for Croutons
  • 1 loaf artisan bread (stale bread is ideal)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
  • pinch cayenne
  • Ingredients for Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 cups extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

  1. For croutons, cut the crust off the bread and cut bread into cubes. Let the cubes dry out a bit.
  2. Mix together the remaining ingredients and toss with bread cubes, then lay them out on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350-degree oven until they begin to brown, at least 10 minutes. Cool croutons before adding to salad.
  3. For dressing, put all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Leave it on for a couple of minutes for garlic to incorporate (and you won’t have chunks of garlic in your dressing), then slowly add olive oil so it emulsifies.
  4. For salad, combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Add cooled croutons and toss again.
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