This fun recipe for a Panzanella Salad can be adapted to use whatever veggies you have on hand, making the dish not only versatile but environmentally friendly as well. It truly is an empowering feeling to take bits of fruits, veggies, dried goods, etc from the week and turn them into a bright and delicious dish full of items you may otherwise toss out.
What You Need:
- 4 cups of crusty aging bread, torn or cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 large green tomatoes, chopped (or any color you can find, it was about 3 cups chopped)
- 1 cup of a chopped green beans (or any other hearty green vegetable, sautéed or steamed & cooled to room temp)
- 1/2 cup of chopped green olives (obviously the theme is green, but if you have purple kalamata olives those would be lovely)
- 1 bunch of fresh green herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, dill, or arugula all work!)
- 1 large lemon worth of juice
- 3/4 cup oil (Grapeseed, Olive, Avocado, etc. work well)
- 1 tbsp vinegar (white balsamic)
- 1 tbsp water
- salt & pepper to taste
*Note: If you don’t have aging bread that’s already a little hard, simply take your fresher torn bread toss it in oil/salt/pep and place in the oven on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 for 10 minutes to get a little crispiness to hold up to the dressing. Let the bread come down to room temp before assembling the salad.
How To:
Step 1: Dressing
Start by making your herb vinaigrette: in the blender or food processor add your green herbs, 3/4 cup of oil, 1 lemon worth of juice, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp of water and blend. May or may not need to add more oil or water to thin it out. Season with salt & pepper and additional lemon juice to taste.
Step 2: Add Ingredients
Start with the bowl of crusty bread. Next add your diced tomatoes, chopped green beans, & chopped olives beans to a large bowl.
Step 3: Mix it Up!
Add the dressing over top and give it a good toss. Let the salad sit for 5-10 minutes to soak up the vinaigrette and allow the bread to soften just slightly. Then serve it up with wild caught salmon or organic cage free chicken breast or better yet go totally green and keep it a vegan meal by serving this with veggie burgers!
About Almonds & Asana
Almonds & Asana is a lifestyle blog focused on healthful recipes, yoga tips, and ways to live a more mindful and engaged life. The goal is to add purpose into everything from the food we select, to the exercises we put our bodies through, to the products we choose to buy and surround ourselves with. This blog is the ultimate guide to living a balanced life through my personal experiences, making it part guide part journey.
