Easy Summer Panzanella

Salad is great.

Veggies are grand.

But both are better when bread is at hand.

I love bread. I was actually talking to a friend the other day and said, “You know, I’ve never been sad eating good bread.”

And it’s true. Eating good bread is one of the very best eating experiences I could think of.

And I love bread in all forms––as pizza, as the base to sandwiches, and yes, even as the star of a salad.

Panzanella, aka bread salad, is one of those dishes that’s so quick, incredibly simple, and effortlessly satisfying.

I’m not lying: the amount of pure, unadulterated enjoyment panzanella gives me far outweighs the effort it takes to actually make it myself.

And I never, ever make it.

But…I went out to dinner with a friend a few nights ago, and we split a panzanella. It was very similar to the one you see here––filled to the brim with fresh summer veggies and packed with big, chunky bread cubes.

I immediately deemed that bowl of slightly-soggy (in the best way) bread, veggies, and dressing my happy place, so I knew I needed to make my own version asap.

So I went to the market, grabbed some beautiful tomatoes and fresh bread, and went to work.

Panzanella is definitely one of those “choose your own adventure” kind of dishes; it can be as simple or complex as you want. But I went relatively simple with mine, allowing the flavors of the season to really shine:

• Big chunks of fresh tomato, because nothing is better in the summer.
• Thinly-sliced cucumber for some crunch.
• Corn kernels for a beautiful pop of sweetness.
• Wafer-thin slices of shallot, for some bite.
• Mixed, chopped olives for a lil briney moment.
• Crisp, cubed chunks of good, stale, and/or toasted bread.
• Fresh basil, because summer.
• And a quick and easy vinaigrette to finish everything out.

And while all of these ingredients are great on their own, they really shine together. The stale/toasted bread soaks up all of the juices from the tomato and dressing like the perfect carb sponge that it is. It becomes nice and chewy, and all of the veg gives you a different experience each and every bite.

It’s extremely simple, but I swear: the joy this dish gave me far outweighs most other dishes I’ve eaten in recent memory. It’s just all about celebrating those special flavors, textures, and aromas of summer.

And as a self-proclaimed summer-hater, this panzanella has me second-guessing my distain for all-things hot, humid, and hazy.

Since I’m cooking for one, I kind of assumed I’d have leftovers, but no, the recipe, as written, is the exact right amount for a single serving.

That said, it’s easily scalable, so feel free to impress all of your friends, families, and loved ones with your panzanelling. It really is the best way to use up that end-of-summer produce!

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