Panzanella Salad

Panzanella salad has been on my “To Make” list for quite some time and today I finally got around to checking it off the list. Panzanella is an Italian dish, traditionally prepared with day-old Tuscan bread, tomatoes, basil, olive oil and vinegar. This is the version I came up with and it’s delicious. Light, fresh and perfect for the summer.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

Olive oil for drizzling

4 oz day-old white bread, sliced 1” thick

2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes

2 cucumbers

1 bell pepper

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Dressing:

1 tsp deli-style mustard

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp salt + pepper

Drizzle the bread slices lightly with olive oil and place oil side down on a grill pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle the other side. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side, until grill marks appear and the bread is crispy. Set aside and let cool.

Chop the vegetables and cilantro and place into a bowl. Chop the cooled bread into 1” cubes and add to bowl. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour dressing over salad. Toss and serve.