Springtime Panzanella
Have some day-old bread that’s headed for the compost? Not so fast. You have the makings of a delicious, bread-based Panzanella salad. This one combines lots of veggies, a homemade vinaigrette, and regeneratively grown, organic gigante beans by Simpli. Served as a side dish or a light main course, it’s a lively and satisfying taste of spring.
Ingredients
Croutons:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 cups day-old bread such as Rose Street focaccia, cubed
- ¼ freshly cracked black pepper
Green Onion Vinaigrette:
- 1 bunch (about 2 cups) green onions, white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup red or white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- Water if needed
Salad:
- 2 pints (about 2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Simpli gigante beans, cooked,* or 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (9 oz.) jar artichokes, drained and chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, torn
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°, then toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing once halfway through, until crisp and browned, about 15 minutes. Set aside and cool.
Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add some water to thin it out if needed; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. Set aside.
Add the tomatoes, beans, artichokes, and red onion to a large serving bowl and top with a generous amount of black pepper. Toss with 2 Tablespoons of vinaigrette. Add the croutons and more dressing, to taste. Add parmesan and fresh basil, gently toss well, and serve.
Reserve any extra dressing for another salad or use as a sauce for grilled chicken.
Notes
*To cook Gigante beans, gently simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours until very tender but not mushy. You can also soak them overnight to reduce cooking time.
Serves 6.
Recipe by Lakewinds Food Co-op at https://www.lakewinds.coop/recipes/all/springtime-panzanella/