Panzanella is a classic tomato and bread salad from Tuscany.
Be warned, this salad demands the very best tomatoes!
If you dont have juicy tomatoes, dont make this.
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After making this salad over the years, weve made some tweaks to the strictly traditional recipes.
Toasting the bread isnt strictly traditional.
But it stops it from turning into white unidentifiable mush within minutes of tossing with dressing.
Theymustbe juicy and ripe, so they drop plenty of tomato juices this is used to make the dressing.
So if you dont have juicy tomatoes, makeanother saladinstead!
Cucumbers Ive peeled the cucumbers here, but this is purely decorative, to introduce some colour variation.
Telegraph/English cucumber skins can also be a little tough (ie the long cucumbers).
But peeling is totally optional.
Basil leaves Always present in a good Panzanella!
We want a bread with an open crumb, but still some heft.
Dont usebaguettes or dinner rolls.
Theyre too light and will disintegrate on contact with dressing.
Bread that is too dense on the other hand also wont work right.
In terms of quantities, breads vary in denseness and thus weight, so go by volume ratios.
You want an approximate 1:2 ratio of bread to vegetables.
When I told him it was bread he replied, Oh, right.
I thought it was tofu … Ouch.
Ive been toasting the bread ever since!
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White wine vinegar Its a little more rounded and better flavoured than ordinary white vinegar.
Red wine vinegar can also be used.
Other options: cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar or white balsamic.
Garlic Not usually present in traditional Panzanella, but it improves the salad two-fold in my book!
Otherwise, serve it as a side dish.
It also makes what I call a nicetwo-in-one side dish.
Let me know if you make this, and what you serve it with!
Im always interested to hear what youre making!
No video for the 3 simple side salads Im sharing today!
(This Panzanella, aBlood Orange Saladand theGarden Salad).
