One of our favorite salads…without the lettuce. This hearty bread salad recipe from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate is perfect for potlucks and summer barbecues.
There's a running joke between my mom and I about her method of eating salads. She commonly orders salads when we go out to lunch and then proceeds to eat everything except the lettuce.
To me, this completely defeats the purpose of ordering a salad. As I see it, it's a way to eat my greens and hopefully some other tasty things as well. For my mom, it's ALL about the toppings.
Whenever I make panzanella salads, which in most cases have zero greens and instead are loaded with bread, I think of my mom. It's really her ideal salad, plus additional carbs, which I know she would be a fan of. She can eat the entire thing and not have to pick around all that silly lettuce.
My recipe for Italian Panzanella is basically like a chopped Italian salad, minus the lettuce, plus some toasted bread. I filled it with diced salami, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas and a tangy Italian vinaigrette.
My secret to a really stellar panzanella is toasting the bread cubes in a combination of olive oil and butter. You can do this in the oven or on the stovetop; using a skillet on the stove is my preferred method. The chunks of bread become golden brown and a little crispy on the outside while remaining chewy and soft on the inside. It also helps the bread stand up to the dressing of the panzanella salad, without getting soggy.
That said, this salad is definitely best the day of. While we happily ate leftovers the next day, they weren't quite as crispy as the first day.
The combination of flavors and textures is simply delicious. I can see this being a perfect potluck dish, a summer BBQ side dish, or if you're like us – a complete meal!
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1-pound loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 (16-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup roasted red peppers, sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces salami, prosciutto, or sopressata, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used a combination)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
For the Italian vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.
Add half of the bread cubes and toast until golden brown on most sides. Repeat with remaining oil, butter and bread cubes. Place all toasted bread cubes into a large bowl.
Add garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, salami, tomatoes and fresh basil, stirring to combine.
In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Pour dressing over bread mixture, stirring well to combine. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
