Panzenella Recipe: A Refreshing Italian Bread Salad
When it’s hot outside and you’re craving a light and refreshing meal, look no further than Panzenella. This classic Italian bread salad is a burst of summer flavors in every bite. With its simple ingredients and easy preparation, it’s a go-to dish for busy weeknights or lazy weekend lunches. In this article, we’ll walk you through the recipe, ingredients, preparation steps, and method to make this delightful dish.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 4 cups of stale bread (preferably rustic Italian or sourdough), torn into bite-sized pieces
- 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Method:
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients ready. Stale bread works best for this recipe as it soaks up the delicious flavors without becoming too soggy.
Step 2: Prep the Bread Tear the stale bread into bite-sized pieces. If your bread isn’t stale, you can lightly toast it in the oven for a few minutes until it’s slightly crispy.
Step 3: Dice the Tomatoes Take your ripe tomatoes and dice them into bite-sized chunks. If you have different types of tomatoes, like cherry or grape, feel free to mix them for a variety of flavors and colors.
Step 4: Prepare the Cucumber Peel the cucumber and dice it into small pieces. Removing the seeds is optional but can help prevent the salad from becoming too watery.
Step 5: Slice the Red Onion Thinly slice the red onion. If you find raw onions too strong, you can soak them in cold water for a few minutes to mellow out their flavor.
Step 6: Tear the Basil Tear the fresh basil leaves into smaller pieces. This adds a burst of aromatic freshness to your Panzenella.
Step 7: Assemble the Salad In a large bowl, combine the torn bread, diced tomatoes, cucumber, sliced red onion, and torn basil leaves.
Step 8: Dress the Salad In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Drizzle this dressing over the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 9: Toss and Rest Gently toss all the ingredients together to ensure that the bread soaks up the dressing and the flavors meld. Let the salad sit for about 10-15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the delicious juices from the tomatoes and the dressing.
Step 10: Serve and Enjoy After the salad has had a chance to rest, give it one final toss, and it’s ready to serve. Panzenella is best enjoyed fresh, so serve it immediately.
Conclusion: Panzenella is the perfect dish for those hot summer days when you want something light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor. With just a few simple ingredients and easy preparation steps, you can whip up this classic Italian bread salad in no time. Whether you serve it as a side dish or a main course, Panzenella is sure to become a staple in your summer menu. So grab some stale bread, ripe tomatoes, and fresh basil, and give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Panzenella recipe(youtube)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Rn9DN3IjU