Panzanella For Two

There are lots of uses for day-old or stale bread. Like French toast. Breadcrumbs. Bread pudding. Perhaps my favorite use is this simple, rustic Italian salad called Panzanella. It’s traditionally made with basil but since basil isn’t in season yet, I used some Italian flat leaf parsley instead. The result? Just as good!

Any type of bread will work for this recipe, from sourdough to sandwich bread, pumperknickel or even stale bagels. Just be sure to chop your bread into uniformly-sized cubes so that it toasts evenly and blends well with your chopped veggies.

Panzanella
Yield: 2 servings

Toasted Bread Cubes:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 slices stale bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt

Salad:
1 medium tomato or 5-6 cherry tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 seedless cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 onion (red is traditional but I had a sweet onion on hand)
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped coarsely

Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp white balsamic or Champagne vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. In a heavy skillet, toss bread with olive oil and salt over low-medium heat and stir occasionally until lightly browned.
2. While toasting your bread, toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
4. Add vinaigrette to raw veggies and toss to combine.
5. Add bread cubes and toss.
6. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to combine.