Panzanella Salad

A favorite in summer has to be the Tuscan chopped Panzanella salad! Made with stale bread, tomatoes, onions, and basil with the tinge of vinegar and olive oil, Panzanella salad is a popular dish with its origins tracing back to central Italy.

If you are not in the mood of having a full course meal and would like to have something light but nutritious, Panzanella is the dish for you.

Taking just twenty-five minutes to prepare, you can enjoy a good bowl of salad that is just too hard to resist. Here is a simple recipe for this mouthwatering salad that serves up to 12.

Health Benefits

• The classic Italian Panzanella salad is rich in nutrition and can provide adequate energy to you f you choose to consume it as a one-dish meal. The nutrition composition is enlisted underneath:
  • Calories: 160
  • Carbohydrates: 20g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Fat: 8g
  • Saturated fat: 1.2g
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Dietary fiber: 3g
  • Sodium: 455mg
  • Potassium: 415mg

Ingredients

tbsp olive oil: 3

small bread cut into 1-inch cubes: 1

tsp kosher salt: 1

large tomatoes cut into 1-inch cubes: 2

cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced (1-inch thick): 1

red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes: 1

yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch: 1

large basil leaves, roughly chopped: 20

tsp garlic, finely minced: 1

tsp Dijon mustard: 1/2

tbsp Champagne vinegar: 3

cup olive oil: 1/2

tsp kosher salt: 1/2

tsp black pepper – freshly ground: 1/4

How To Make Panzanella Salad

1. In a large pan, heat the oil and add the bread and salt. Let it cook on low to medium heat for ten minutes while stirring continuously until the bread turns brown.
2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, red and yellow peppers, onion, basil, and capers.
4. Add the bread cubes and mix with the vinaigrette.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Let the salad rest for thirty minutes to let the flavors blend in.

Trivia

• The Panzanella salad is reported to be traced back to the 16^th century as its description can be found in the literary work of artist and poet of that time, Bronzino.

The name Panzanella is deemed to be a fusion of the Italian words “pane” and “Zanella,” meaning bread and deep plate for serving, respectively.