Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
1/2 small loaf of bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups arugula
2 cups assorted tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cucumbers, roughly chopped (I like Persian)
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup olives, pit removed and halved
Handful of basil
Dressing
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat the oven to 300 degrees.
Roughly tear or cut the bread into 1-inch chunks. Toss with the olive oil and salt and roast on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes until the bread is dried out but not hard.
To make the dressing add the garlic, mustard, and champagne vinegar to a bowl, very gradually add the olive oil, and whisk so it emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a serving dish assemble your salad. Add the bread, arugula, tomato, cucumber, red onion, olives, and basil.
Add the dressing to the salad and combine. It’s nice to leave everything to sit together and combine flavors for 20 minutes before serving.