Summer Panzanella with Rosemary Sourdough Croutons
This beautiful salad is mostly fresh, raw veggies in a tasty vinaigrette. You'll only have to turn the oven on to toast the croutons, making it perfect for the middle of summer.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 25minutes
Cook Time 10minutes
Total Time 35minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
3tablespoonsEVOO
1loaf rosemary olive oil sourdough bread, like La Brea, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1teaspoonkosher salt
2large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3tablespoonscapers, drained (we generally toss the entire jar in if it's small...)
115 oz canwhite beansdrained
For the vinaigrette:
1teaspoonfinely minced garlic
1/2teaspoonDijon mustard
3tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
1/2cupEVOO
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt. (You may need to toast the bread in smaller batches so that there's just a single layer of bread at a time. Toast 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. This recipe makes great leftovers, as it just continues to get better the longer the veggies marinate in the vinaigrette. Enjoy! *adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's recipe