I was craving panzanella salad but wanted to add a few cool summer ingredients as well as protein. So, I opted for a couple of Persian cucumbers and great white northern beans. It was so good that I completely forgot to put this on a bed of arugula!
Ingredients
1.5 lbs small Campari tomatoes or small ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
Small 6oz ciabatta bread, cut in bite sized pieces
2-3 Persian cucumbers, peeled & sliced
1/3 c olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground kosher or sea salt and black pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup basil leaves, chopped
1 15oz can Northern white beans, drained & rinsed, optional
Directions
Chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and place in colander over a bowl. Sprinkle salt and toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature to drain juice, tossing a few times for at least 20 minutes. I let them sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut ciabatta bread into cubes and either toss with olive oil and toast in oven or melt ghee with garlic powder and brown in nonstick pan for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the bread cool.
Remove colander from bowl and set aside. Add shallot, garlic, Dijon into bowl with tomato juice. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil slowly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine toasted bread, tomatoes, cucumbers and dressing in a large bowl. Add basil leaves and northern beans if using. Toss it all and let it rest for 20 minutes until dressing is absorbed by bread.
You can eat this salad by itself or add it to a bed of lettuce or arugula!
#panzella #summertomatoes #summersalad #homemade
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