Panzanella - Tuscan Bread Salad - my Hungry Traveler

Panzanella - Tuscan Bread Salad

The only planning required for this amazing dish is to leave a loaf of coarse, country-style Italian bread on the counter for a few days in advance. This salad is good any time of the year but goes to a another level when made with the summer's bounty of juicy beefsteak tomatoes and just-picked basil leaves.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Brunch, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: Italian, Northern Italy

Prep Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Container with lid
Serving bowl

Ingredients

1½ lb Stale country-style bread, cut into thick slices. Remove crusts and then into chunks.
1 medium Red onion, sliced thin
3 large Beefsteak tomatoes, cut into large chunks
½ cup Fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp Each salt and pepper
1 clove Garlic, crushed with salt to make a paste
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

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Instructions

Place bread chunks into a bowl, layer sliced onions over the bread, and cover with water. After 15 minutes, remove onions, drain, and scatter them into a salad bowl. Squeeze bread chunks of excess liquid and add to salad bowl and mix well. Add tomatoes, parsley, and chopped basil. Mix everything together.
Put crushed garlic paste into a jar. Pour in olive oil, vinegar, and pepper. Cover and shake well.
Add the dressing to the salad and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate an hour-or-two to allow flavors to meld.

Notes

Any kind of tomato will work. Remember, the fresher the tomato, the better the dish.
Italian bread from Tuscany is unique in that it doesn't include salt and its heartier texture holds up exceptionally well to liquids. Country white bread is nice substitutions.
In a pinch, large croutons from the market may be used in this dish

Nutrition