Panzanella Bread Salad

Country bread soaks up the juices from ripe tomatoes until tender yet firm. Red onion provides crunch while red wine vinegar brightens the whole dish.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 5 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 464
• Protein: 9 g
• Carbs: 60 g
• Fat: 19 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Country bread ( stale, in large cubes )
• 600 g Vine tomato ( wedged )
• 1 piece Cucumber ( sliced )
• 1 piece Red onion ( thinly sliced )
• 1 piece Basil ( whole leaves )
• 50 g Black olive ( pitted )
• 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 1 tbsp Capers ( drained )

Instructions

1. Bread preparation

   Slice the country bread into large 3 cm cubes. Place them under the oven grill for a few minutes: they should be dry to the touch and lightly colored, but not burnt.

2. Vegetable cutting

   Cut the tomatoes into irregular wedges so they release their juice. Slice the cucumber into rounds and the red onion into thin transparent strips.

3. Assembly and seasoning

   In a large salad bowl, mix the bread, vegetables, black olives, and capers. Drizzle generously with olive oil and wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

4. The crucial rest

   Add the hand-torn basil. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. The bread should be soaked in dressing and tomato juice, but still have some bite.

Chef's tips

• Don't skip the resting time; that's when the magic happens between the bread and the tomato juice.
• Use very ripe, almost soft tomatoes to get the maximum amount of juice.

Storage

Can be kept for 12 hours in the fridge, but the bread eventually loses its texture beyond that.