Tuscan Panzanella Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers leaving some green skin in alternating strips; slice as thinly as possible. Slice onions as thinly as possible. In a colander, toss cucumber and onion slices with 2 teaspoons salt. Weight with a plate and let drain 20 minutes. Quarter, then thinly slice tomatoes.
• In a large bowl of cold water soak staled bread just until it loses its firmness and becomes spongy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If you have let your bread get stale for less than 2 days, just run it briefly under cold, running water.) Using your hands, gently squeeze out water without compacting bread too much. Tear into pieces about 1/2-inch wide and 3-inches long.
• In a large bowl combine soaked bread, cucumbers and onions, tomatoes, basil, oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, bread, and onions.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar and oil. Pour the dressing over the bread salad and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Add the basil and salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Serve.

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix all ingredients except vinaigrette.
• Add vinaigrette; toss until coated.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese.

Steps:

• Soak the capers in 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a small bowl for 10 minutes. Drain.
• Cut the crust off of the bread. Cut into 2-inch slices and grill, drizzling about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on both sides of the bread. Once grilled, cut or tear bread into 1 inch cubes and set aside.
• Submerge the tomatoes into a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water to cool slightly. Using a small sharp paring knife, peel off the tomato skins. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk 2/3 cup of the olive oil, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the bread cubes, tomatoes, and basil; toss to combine.
• Transfer half of the bread mixture to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish.
• Arrange half of the roasted peppers, drained capers, and olives over the bread mixture. Repeat layering with the remaining bread mixture, then the remaining roasted peppers, capers, and olives. Cover the salad and let stand at room temperature for flavors to blend, at least 1 hour.
• Garnish with the basil sprigs and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
• For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
• In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Steps:

• Submerge the slices of day-old Tuscan-style bread in a bowl of water.
• Use your hands to squeeze out all the water that the bread has absorbed. Break up the bread into small pieces and put into a large bowl.
• Squeeze the cherry tomato juices into a small bowl before adding the tomato halves to the bread mixture.
• Add the red onion, olive oil, and red wine vinegar to the bowl.
• Tear up the basil leaves and toss into the salad mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well.
• Let the salad rest in the refrigerator for a few hours for all the flavors to come together.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic and basil.
• Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil and the 3 tblsps vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
• Place half of the bread in a wide, shallow bowl.
• Spoon half of the tomato mixture over the bread.
• Layer the remaining bread on top and then the remaining tomato mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Just before serving, toss the salad and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
• If the bread seems dry, add a little oil or vinegar.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• 2. In a bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until slightly crisp. (The pieces should not be as crispy as croutons.) Alternatively, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry, uncovered, for about 24 hours.
• 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, capers, zest, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add the extra virgin olive oil in a stream until well incorporated.
• 4. Add the onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, fennel, and olives and toss with the vinaigrette. Adjust the salt and pepper.
• 5. Tear the fennel fronds and add them to the bowl along with the basil and bread. Toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• 6. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Garnish each plate with shaved cheese and serve. If you prefer a moister salad, drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil.