Chef Chris Viaud’s Panzanella Salad

Panzanella has always been, in my mind, the perfect summer salad. It’s essentially a bread and tomato salad, traditionally made with stale bread that’s been revived with the simple but magical elixir of ripe tomato juices, vinegar, and lots of olive oil. What I love about Panzanella is its adaptability, and the many delightful ways it can deviate from the Tuscan classic. I’m personally a big fan, for instance, of kale Panzanella. And a basic Panzanella with tons of cucumbers is basically my go-to summer meal. But Chef Chris Viaud’s Panzanella takes the recipe to another dimension, with the most exquisite Epis dressing, a nod to his Haitian roots, that bursts with so much flavor that you’ll find yourself wanting to put it on everything. 

Chris is the chef and owner of Greenleaf and Ansanm restaurants in Milford, NH, as well as Pavilion in Wolfeboro, NH. He is a James Beard Award semifinalist and you might also recognize him from season 18 of Top Chef! It amazes me that he can run three busy restaurants and yet still find time to garden, but when you hear him talking about it, it’s obvious that getting his hands in the soil and participating in that magical transformation from sprouting seed to gorgeous plant to delicious vegetable, is something that feeds his creativity as a chef.

When I asked Chef Viaud to share his favorite recipe from his garden, there was no hesitation. Bread and tomatoes are two things that he is crazy about. And with a garden full of fresh veggies, ripe juicy tomatoes and his own homemade loaf of crusty country bread, it’s no wonder Panzanella is one of his favorites. I love that his Panzanella goes beyond just tomatoes, featuring lots of finely sliced veggies from his garden: a little bit of sliced shishito peppers, slivers of red onion, chopped green beans, peas, radishes, cucumbers, and lots of fresh herbs. It’s an explosion of summer freshness. I get the sense that whatever is gorgeous and in season is what populates his Panzanella, so take his cue and use whichever veggies are fresh seasonal where you live.

As Chef Viaud says, start with the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find. Ideally not those bland pale grocery store tomatoes that are picked underripe so they can be shipped across the country and sit on grocery shelves for weeks. This is definitely a recipe to make in season. And if you don’t have the luxury of growing your own tomatoes, it’s worth a visit to your nearest farmer’s market or farm stand to find just-picked tomatoes. 

What really makes this recipe come together in a symphony of flavors though is that Epis dressing. Oh it is good! I hope you’ll make this, and let us know in the comments how you liked it. Enjoy!