Panzanella – the best way to revive stale bread! Juicy tomatoes, crisp croutons, and fresh basil soak up a garlicky, tangy dressing for a salad that tastes like summer in Italy. Simple, no cooking, just delicious.
Category
Lunch
Servings
4
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
0 minutes
Panzanella – the best way to revive stale bread! Juicy tomatoes, crisp croutons, and fresh basil soak up a garlicky, tangy dressing for a salad that tastes like summer in Italy. Simple, no cooking, just delicious.
Ingredients
- ¼ loaf stale bread
- olive oil
- salt
- 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) ripe tomatoes, preferably a mixture of varieties
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
- 1 garlic clove
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Tear the stale bread into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt.
- Spread the bread on a baking tray and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown and thoroughly toasted.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Slice the tomatoes into a variety of sizes and shapes for texture.
- Season the tomatoes with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out some of their juices.
- In a large bowl, finely grate the garlic clove and add the sliced red onion.
- Pour in the tomato juices, red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix well to ensure the garlic is evenly distributed, then whisk in 1 tbsp of olive oil while stirring.
- Add the tomatoes to the bowl, along with the torn basil leaves and the cooled toasted bread.
- Toss everything together until the bread is well coated with the dressing.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a few more fresh basil leaves.
