Panzanella 2.0: The Naughty Salad
The best parts of a salad minus the virtuous parts of a salad. Mozzarella cubes, croutons, roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and salad dressing. This is actually like the summer version of Thanksgiving stuffing/dressing. You need a pound of bread, a pound of tomatoes, and a pound of mozzarella. It's like a pound cake, but with salad, and probably equivalent in nutritional value.
Ingredients
Croutons
- 1 lb Bread loaf cut into 1" cubes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder optional
Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 lb Tomatoes sliced between 1/4"-1/2" thick
- Extra virgin olive oil
- White sugar
- Kosher salt
- Balsamic vinegar
Dressing
- 1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1½ tbsp Düsseldorf style mustard
- Salt and pepper
Other Ingredients
- Bunch Basil
- 1 lb Mozzarella cut into 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/4" pieces
Instructions
Make croutons
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Combine cubed bread in a large bowl. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4-1/3 cup. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder, if using. Toss with hands to ensure each bread cube has oil on it.
- Spread bread cubes onto two baking sheets. Do not stack or overlap pieces.
- Bake both pans for 25 minutes. Allow to cool on pan.
Roast tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Arrange tomatoes on baking pan without overlap or stacking. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are blistering. Allow to cool in pan.
Prepare dressing
- In a one-cup liquid measuring cup combine olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add salt and pepper as desired. Whisk until a smooth consistency.
Assemble Panzanella Salad
- In a large serving bowl combine croutons, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Toss to make homogenous, or leave layered for a nice presentation.
- Serve with dressing on the side if it will not all be eaten in one setting. Otherwise, toss with dressing and serve immediately. Panzanella will keep for about 3 days, but the croutons will become soggy after the first day.