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Panzanella

5.0(2901)

At the height of tomato season, for every perfectly ripe, taut and juicy specimen there’s an overripe, oozing counterpart not far away. The Tuscan bread salad called panzanella is the perfect place to use those sad, soft tomatoes that are still rich in flavor. Traditional panzanella is made with stale, dried bread that’s rehydrated with a dressing of sweet tomato juices, vinegar and plenty of olive oil. This version includes mozzarella for richness and cucumber for crunch. It’s an ideal do-ahead dish; the longer the mixture sits (up to 6 or so hours), the better it tastes. Just be sure to dry your bread out thoroughly in the oven so it won’t turn to mush. For a make-ahead summer party, serve alongside crunchy fried chicken and round out the meal with a luscious coconut cake accented with peaches.

by Melissa Clark·published 2015-07-08

Open original recipe

ItalianDinner, Lunch, Appetizer, Side Dish

Servings

6 servings

Total time

45 min

Calories / serving

289 kcal

Ingredients (16)

serves

4 ounces ciabatta or baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)baguette
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
3/4 teaspoon kosher sea salt, more to taste
2 pounds very ripe tomatoes, preferably a mix of varieties and colorstomato
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into bite-size piecesmozzarella
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, about half a small onionred-onion
2 garlic cloves, grated to a pastegarlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme (or a combination)oregano
Large pinch red-pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustarddijon-mustard
Black pepper, to tastepepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced Persian or Kirby cucumber, about 1 small cucumbercucumber
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drainedcapers

Instructions (4 steps)

01Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt. Bake until they are dried out and pale golden brown at the edges, about 7 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
02Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add mozzarella, onions, garlic paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, oregano or thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the red-pepper flakes if using. Toss to coat and set aside.
03In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, the mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some black pepper to taste. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until the mixture is thickened. Stir in cucumbers, basil and parsley.
04Add bread cubes, cucumber mixture and capers to the tomatoes and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar and salt if needed just before serving.