Sometimes you just need to use things up. Plain and simple. That happens quite frequently as a vegetarian. We always have lots of vegetables in our fridge and sometimes we have to be creative so food doesn’t go to waste. This time though, it wasn’t vegetables. It was an incredible ½ loaf of whole wheat sourdough bread that I had picked up from the farmers market the day prior. We had already used it for sandwiches the night before so we knew how wonderful this artisanal bread was and we didn’t want to miss the chance to use it again for another meal.
Stale bread is a key component of this veggie packed salad. Fresh bread works too but usually one will have bread they would like to finish up from time to time. I’m guessing that many of you have the same issue periodically or just use regular sliced sandwich bread that you have on hand. It works just as well and this salad is the perfect fresh solution for not being wasteful which is always a good thing for our homes and our planet.
There are many variations on this salad and our plan is always to make it as colorful as possible. However, the great thing about a salad like this is you can be creative. Whatever vegetables you love can be included and the bread will make it a more satisfying and a complete meal that can stand on its own. Because of course, there is always someone that will claim a salad can’t be a full meal. This panzanella is just that. Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t have dessert afterwards. That is always a given after eating a healthy meal like this! But you absolutely can without the guilt following this fresh salad.
- Salad:
- 2-4 slices of crusty bread, cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 5-6 cups of arugula (Can be more or less depending on your preference)
- 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ribbons and grilled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 large beefsteak tomato, halved and diced
- 6 oz. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 cup sugar snap pea pods, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup roasted red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 med. red onion
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, halves and pits removed
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 4-8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, torn or chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, stems removed and chopped
- Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- ¼ Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Dried Basil
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and also put a large pot of water slightly salted on to boil.
- Wash and chop all fresh vegetables, herbs, and bread as per ingredients list.
- Spread bread pieces in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss bread around a bit to coat. Toast the bread in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes tossing once or twice to brown evenly.
- Grill or cook the zucchini ribbons in lightly oiled pan over medium heat for a few minutes on both sides until they become tender.
- Once water is boiling, add the cut asparagus and trimmed pea pods and let boil for 2-3 minutes. Once done drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Blanching these vegetables makes them more tender and easier to chew which will blend nicely with the rest of the textures in the salad.
- Make the vinaigrette. Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a small bowl and stir rapidly to combine.
- Build your salad. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl tossing to mix. Finish with the fresh herbs. Give the dressing one last stir before adding it to the salad. Toss to incorporate. Enjoy.