Hearty Tuscan Bread Salad, or Panzanella, Revisited
Medium-Rough Panzanella Recipe with a Twist
Fancy giving a new spin to your leftover bread? This Panzanella recipe offers a refreshing take on the Tuscan classic with a zesty lemon vinaigrette and crunchy cucumbers.
What's needed: Treat your taste buds with premium extra-virgin olive oil for this dish. Its quality shines through after the first bite!
Game plan: This salad only gets better with time as its flavors blend, making preparation ahead a smart choice. You can make it a day in advance!
- Servings: 8 generous helpings
- Difficulty: Simple and straightforward
- Time: Around 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients (14 items)
For the Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette:
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1-2 medium lemons)
- 6 anchovies, finely minced
- 3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the Salad:
- 8 ounces leftover Italian bread (around 1/2 of a loaf), torn into large chunks
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced Tropea (red torpedo) onions or sweet onions like Maui or Vidalia
- 1 pound English cucumbers (around 2 medium cucumbers), halved lengthwise and cubed
- A tightly packed cup of large basil leaves, torn
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Let's get cooking!
For the lemon-garlic vinaigrette:
- Combine all ingredients except the oil in a medium non-reactive bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes. Whisk continuously while slowly adding the oil until fully incorporated.
For the salad:
- Plop the bread in a large bowl and coat half of the vinaigrette. Let it chill at room temperature for approximately 10 minutes.
- While waiting, mix the tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers in a separate large bowl along with the remaining vinaigrette. Again, let it relax at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Scoop the veggies and basil onto the bread and mix until equal parts combined. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Allow the flavors to meld for at least 15 minutes before serving at room temperature.
Ancestral Knowledge on Panzanella
Authentic Tuscan cuisine often uses stale bread in Panzanella. Traditional ingredients include:
- Stale Bread: Ciabatta or sourdough are common bread choices, and they require gentle toasting to optimize texture.
- Tomatoes: Diced fresh tomatoes are vital, especially plum or cherry tomatoes due to their sweetness and juiciness.
- Onions: Red onions provide a pungent undertone to the dish.
- Moisture Source: Typically water, but olive oil and vinegar dressing are more modern and preferable.
- Herbs: Fresh basil or oregano deliver an aromatic zing to the salad.
- Cheese (optional): Mozzarella or Parmesan might pop up in some recipes, but they aren't essential in traditional versions.
- Dressing: A dressing composed of olive oil and vinegar is used to flavor the bread.
Learn more about the preparation process of traditional Panzanella here.[2][4]
- Despite the typical use of stale bread in Tuscan Panzanella, this Medium-Rough Panzanella Recipe with a Twist offers an interesting twist by using leftover Italian bread, creating an ivory backdrop for the zesty lemon vinaigrette, crunchy cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes.
- Aside from adding crunchy cucumbers, the uncategorized recipes section of the website also offers a Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette recipe that complements the Tuscan classic, offering nutrition beyond the traditional olive oil and vinegar dressing.
- When preparing the salad, consider the importance of nutrition by using high-quality extra-virgin olive oil in both the Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette and the Tuscan Panzanella Recipe for optimal taste and health benefits.
- From the original unclassified collection of recipes, we can see that alongside the basic ingredients such as stale bread and tomatoes, this Tuscan Panzanella Recipe also boasts a nutritious twist with the addition of luscious English cucumbers and a tangy lemon-garlic vinaigrette, making it a refreshing and unique take on the Tuscan classic.
