Panzanella Salad

Panzanella Salad

When summertime rolls around and the heat cranks up, the last thing I want to do is run the oven.  Not to mention, if we’re rolling in late from a day at the beach, it’s nice to put together a dinner that isn’t labor intensive.  A panzanella salad is our go to on a hot, lazy summer day.  The ingredients are fresh and flavorful and virtually anything can go in it.  It’s something that can go any direction based on what you’re craving and the ingredients you have on hand.  All the Taylor girls can get in on the action and pitch in.  Many hands make light work.  Here’s our go to panzanella salad recipe. 

Ingredients

1 loaf ciabatta, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

½ each red and yellow bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 English cucumber, cut into 1 inch pieces

¼ C basil leaves, sliced

1 C mixed super greens

½ C marinated sun dried tomatoes

1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts

½ C pitted Kalamata olives

½ medium red onion thinly sliced

6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes

6 oz salami, sliced into strips

Dressing:

¼ C red wine vinegar

¾ C extra virgin olive oil

1 t Dijon mustard

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if bread isn’t stale enough) and toss cubes of ciabatta with extra virgin olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet, toast in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Place all prepared ingredients into a large bowl and gently combine.  Wisk the dressing together, drizzle over the salad, and toss together.  You can make this a few hours ahead so the flavors come together, but keep in mind your bread will lose some crispiness once the salad is dressed so you might want to hold off on adding the ciabatta until it’s closer to go time. 

Enjoy!

Xo, Inger