Recipe 9: Panzanella

Panzanella, or bread salad, is an Italian dish from Tuscany. Traditionally, it includes cubed day-old bread, fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and vinegar. I found a recipe for it in one of my old magazines and added a few things to jazz it up a little.

I recently found out that some people call panzanella, "leftover salad" and add many different ingredients to it. So, I guess I was on the right track.

Here are the ingredients I use. Feel free to add to them.

Salad:
2 to 3 cups crusty, hard bread. I use a rosemary flavored Artisan bread from FoodLion. It doesn't have to be old.
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Olive oil
3-4 basil leaves
1-2 tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1/8 red Onion
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons Olive oil

2-3 teaspoon red wine or apple cider vinegar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (to taste)

1 teaspoon Lime juice

Pinch of sugar or Splenda

Dash of salt and pepper

Step 1: Slice bread into 1" cubes

Step 2: Drizzle frying pan with olive oil and add bread. Saute the bread until it starts to turn brown. Add a sprinkling of garlic and onion powder and cook for a minute or so more, until bread is nice and toasted. Remove from heat and put bread into a large salad bowl.

Step 3: Chop the tomato, cucumber, onion, cheese, and basil leaves. Put them into the salad bowl on top of the bread.

Step 4: Mix together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Pour over the bread salad, mix well, and serve.

This salad goes great with grilled steak or chicken, or can be a meal itself.

Like I mentioned before, many people think of panzanella as a leftover salad, so feel free to add boiled eggs, lettuce, bell peppers, capers, celery, carrots, etc. Whatever your little heart desires.

Mangia!