This simple, healthy Tuscan bread salad recipe is made with the sweetest ripe tomatoes, chunks of cucumber, slivered onion, and capers with a zesty vinaigrette and fresh basil, perfect for summertime eats.
Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
Keyword panzanella, salad, bread salad
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Calories 203kcal
Ingredients
½ cupplus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3garlic cloves, divided
6cups1-inch cubed sourdough bread
1 ½poundstomatoes, any ripe, sweet tomato works, cut into 1-inch pieces
½English cucumberseeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
½cupslivered red onion
2tablespoonscapers
¼cupred wine vinegar
1teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
½cupfresh basil leaves, roughly torn or thinly sliced
Instructions
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet with 1 clove slivered garlic. Bring to medium heat, cooking the garlic until it becomes fragrant and golden, then remove the garlic slivers from the oil and discard. Add the cubed sourdough to the skillet and toss to coat. Cook the bread until golden, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and capers with the cooled bread. In a small bowl, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and use a garlic press to add the remaining garlic cloves into the bowl with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well and pour over the tomato mixture. Add the basil and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving. This salad is best served the day it's made.