The Best Panzanella

Maybe a bold claim on my end, maybe a quick jump to assuming I’m making a bold claim on yours. This is the best panzanella.

Panzanella is a chopped bread salad that was born in Tuscany some summers ago. Stale bread, chopped vegetables and aromatics are soaked in oil and vinegar and served with the ability to convert any salad-skeptic into being a salad-lover.

A mix of sweet balsamic and red wine vinegars, extra virgin olive oil, fresh-from-the-market rosemary sourdough, and a sprig or two of fresh-from-my-backyard rosemary… These flavors speak for themselves!

Don’t tell me you’re not starting to side with me as I say this is….

The Best Panzanella

Things I used:

3 slices rosemary sourdough bread: Check out the bakery stands at your local farmers market! If you don’t have access to a good quality rosemary loaf, use a traditional sourdough and add an extra tsp of fresh rosemary. Traditional panzanella calls for stale bread. To make do with the fresh bread I had (woe is me, right?) I cubed and air-fried mine at 360°F for 7 minutes or until dry.

1/4 white onion, diced

1 Persian cucumber, diced

Heriloom tomatoes, chopped as fine as possible

3 cups arugula

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp fresh rosemary sprigs

1 tbsp balsamic

2 tsp crushed black pepper

1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

How I did it:

Chop and dice all that needs to be chopped and diced

Air-fry your bread if need be

Mix the wet ingredients together

Add in the vegetables and toss until evenly coated

Add the faux stale bread into the salad and toss until the cubes are fully covered in oil and vinegar

Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to fully develop and so the bread to soaks up all the goodness

Serve, enjoy, and admit that calling this the best panzanella wasn’t a bold claim

Buon appetito!