Panzanella- Bread salad with tomatoes and mozzarella
I love Panzanella- Bread salad with tomatoes and mozzarella- made traditionally with day old crusty Italian bread, a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and anything else leftover. My favorite combo is bread and dressing, tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. Kalamata olives would be a perfect ingredient, but last time I made it, I was serving it to the under 12 crowd, and a few adults, so I passed on the olives.
It’s easy, and fresh, and takes just a few minutes to make. After our family dinner, I was going to throw out the leftovers until my niece, Amity said she wanted to take it home. Amity (whose name means peacefulness and friendliness- a perfect description of her) is an Art Therapist, and has an artistic flair for everything from painting to cooking. She had already come up with a plan for the leftovers- The next morning she whipped up a few eggs, added some cheese and poured it all into a pan to bake. Amity’s Italian breakfast! Her brother Brandon called and they both gave me a detailed review of the dish, which they both declared a winner!
 

Panzanella

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Author: Si Foster

Ingredients 

salad:

  • 1 loaf dense crusty Italian Bread
  • 1 -2 lbs fresh mozzarella, cubed
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks total of about 2 cups
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

dressing:

  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all dressing ingredients. Place the cubed bread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until toasted.(If you are short on time, or like the bread fresh and not toasted, skip this step). 
  • In a large bowl, combine bread, cheese, tomatoes, olives and basil. Pour dressing over top, toss and serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

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