Panzanella from Molly MacRae

 

Here’s a salad that's aching for summer days with fresh tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers. Panzanella recipes often call for day-old bread, but the cooks at America’s Test Kitchen think that lightly toasting pieces of a fresh loaf works even better. Through toasting, the bread loses just enough moisture to then absorb the flavorful dressing without becoming mushy. They also suggest salting and draining the tomatoes to remove excess juice and intensify their flavor—and collecting that wonderful juice to use in the dressing.

We thoroughly enjoyed this version of panzanella and also immediately dreamed of multiple variations. Now you can, too. Make it your own! 

Panzanella

Adapted from The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook

 

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) loaf rustic Italian or French bread, torn or cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)

½ cup olive oil, divided

¾ teaspoon salt, divided

1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon capers

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced thin

1 shallot, sliced thin

2 avocados, chopped (or scooped if very ripe)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

 

Directions

With oven rack in middle, heat oven to 400 ℉. Toss bread pieces with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl and spread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Toast bread until just starting to turn light golden, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, gently toss tomatoes with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl. Transfer to colander set over now-empty bowl and let drain for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Whisk vinegar, pepper, capers, garlic, and remaining 6 tablespoons oil into drained tomato juices. Add toasted bread, toss to coat, and let sit for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add drained tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, avocadoes, and basil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

 

Look for Molly’s new series—The Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries—coming in July 2024!

Book 1: Come Shell or High Water

In the meantime, enjoy visiting the Scottish Highlands and the hills and hollows of east Tennessee in Molly's other books - available in libraries and everywhere books are sold.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Twitter  or Instagram.