Empty Nest Mummy

The kids and I first made this delicious tomato and bread salad in Italy last summer and it was divine! The sweet juicy tomatoes are just perfect with the vinegary dressing and the crunchy bread. You can also add cucumber chunks if you like, and even roughly chopped red peppers.

With a bit of supervision (think sharp knives and chubby little fingers), the children regularly help me make this now and it has encouraged them to be a bit more adventurous with things like dressing and capers.

This is just perfect in summer, great for using up gluts of tomatoes and stale bread!

And, if you make it in winter, you can close your eyes and think you’re on holiday again!

Print Recipe

Italian Panzanella Salad

The perfect marriage of tomatoes and bread, this simple recipe makes the very best of tasty tomatoes and leftover bread. It's so very much tastier than it should be!

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Passive Time

20 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 10 tomatoes Use a variety of heritage tomatoes for added taste and colour
• 1/2 loaf Ciabatta or French bread Even tastier if you use yesterday's
• 1 small red onion
• 1 handful basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Passive Time 20 minutes Servings people Ingredients 10 tomatoes Use a variety of heritage tomatoes for added taste and colour 1/2 loaf Ciabatta or French bread Even tastier if you use yesterday's 1 small red onion 1 handful basil leaves 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar 1/2 lemon juiced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Roughly chop the Ciabatta or French bread into bite-sized chunks. Add a couple of good glugs of olive oil. Put in the oven on a baking tray for 15 minutes until slightly crunchy and golden. Leave to cool.

   
3. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into chunky pieces and put in a colander over a bowl. Add some salt and pepper and leave for 15 minutes plus to draw out some juices.

   
4. Prepare the other vegetables: finely chop the red onion; roughly chop the capers and basil leaves.
5. Make the dressing: in a bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Add the tomato juice you have collected from the chunky tomatoes pieces. Taste and adjust the olive oil/lemon juice ratio to your own taste.
6. When the bread has cooled, mix the tomatoes, bread, onion, capers and basil leaves in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss.