Panzanella
Authentic panzanella recipe, straight from Tuscany.
Ingredients
- 9 oz stale country-style white bread
- ½ red onion
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 lb vine ripe tomatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 15-20 basil leaves
- salt
Instructions
- If you like, remove the crusts from the bread (I prefer to leave them on) and the cut bread into ½ inch slices. Put them in a sieve and pass them quickly under running water. Let the bread sit in the sieve while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Thinly slice the red onion, place in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar and cover with water. Set aside.
- Roughly chop your tomatoes into large chunks, about ½-¾ inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the olive oil and mix. Peel the cucumber, cut it in half crosswise and slice into thin pieces. Add to the tomatoes.
- Drain the onions and add to the tomatoes and cucumbers. Add the olive oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and test for salt.
- At this point the bread should have come back to life and feel moist and springy. Squeeze out any excel liquid (if any) and rear into pieces about the same size as your tomato chunks. Add to the vegetables. Toss well, adding an extra drizzle of olive oil if it seems dry.
- Either chiffonade the basil or tear it directly into the salad right before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to remove any excess liquid in your bread before assembling your panzanella salad. You do not want it to be soggy but rather, the bread should be springy.
- If the salad is dry, don’t be afraid to add more olive oil. This will depend on how juicy your tomatoes are and the type of bread you choose.
- Use baby cucumbers instead of one large whole cucumber.
- Add any variety of onion you like. I like red because it adds a bit of color.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!