Panzanella Salad with Zucchini & Olive Bread
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This salad celebrates the best of summer: delicious, ripe tomatoes. I like to use a combination of chopped heirlooms and fresh cherry tomatoes. Using olive bread (and adding some chopped olives as well!) really takes this salad to the next level, and the cucumber and zucchini add a nice cold crunch. The key is to salt your chopped tomatoes in a strainer set over a mixing bowl so that they release some of their juice (which helps the salad from getting too soggy). But don't toss that juice! You'll add it to the vinaigrette to get even more tomato flavor. While you can serve it as soon as you assemble it, the flavor deepens if you let the salad sit at room temperature for an hour or so before you dig in.
Serves 4-6 as a side.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the 4 Cups of cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the 2 T olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Place in oven and bake until golden brown, ~10 minutes.
While the bread is toasting, start the dressing by placing the diced red onion in a small bowl with the salt, champagne and red wine vinegars. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. (Placing the onion in the vinegar ahead of time helps mellow out the onion ahead of finishing the dressing).
Meanwhile, dice your tomatoes and place them in a colander set inside a mixing bowl. Season them with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (this will help the tomatoes release some of their moisture while also seasoning them.
Chop the olives, zucchini, cucumber, basil, parsley & oregano (if using). Set aside.
Remove the toasted cubed bread from the oven and set aside to cool.
Finish salad dressing by adding remaining dressing ingredients except olive oil to the bowl with the red onion, vinegars & salt. Check the bowl sitting under your tomato strainer, and add any released tomato juice to the dressing as well. Mix well with a small whisk or fork. Once mixed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while mixing. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper or more olive oil as needed.
Place the toasted bread in a large mixing or serving bowl. Top with 3/4 of the salad dressing and toss well.
Add remaining salad ingredients and toss well. Taste, and add additional dressing 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.