Panzanella Tomato Salad

Panzanella tomato salad is a unique twist on tomato salad.  Many Italian dishes have their origins in the countryside.  The peasants learned to use everything they grew and did not throw anything out.  Nearly 50% of the produce grown in the US is discarded because of spoilage.  Italians found many uses for their day old bread.  It was often ground and fried in olive oil to be used as a substitute for cheese.  In the case of this tomato salad, the day old bread was soaked in water and added to the salad where it absorbed the flavors of the dressing. The tomatoes and freselle dance on your tongue with the taste of the fresh herbs and balsamic vinegar.

Makes 6-8 Servings

Fresh Herb Dressing *

2 TBS Fresh Basil (chopped)

2 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped)

1 tsp Fresh Thyme (chopped)

Juice of 1 Lemon

½ C Olive Oil

1/8 C White Balsamic Vinegar *

½ tsp Kosher salt or ¼ tsp table salt

5 grinds of Black Pepper

Other Ingredients

3 Lg Ripe Tomatoes

2 C Water

4 Friselle Caserecce *

1 Small Red Onion

Coarsely chop the fresh basil, parsley, and thyme. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse 10 times.  You want to have visible pieces of fresh herbs in the dressing.

Cut the red onion in half and then slice ¼ inch thick.

Place 2 C of room temperature water in a bowl and soak each friselle in the water for 15-30 seconds or until it breaks apart easily.  Break it up into small pieces and place in a separate bowl.  Continue until all 4 pieces are soaked and broken up. Do not over soak. The friselle should still be dry in the center.

Note: If you are substituting the toasted Ciabatta bread, do not soak them in water.

Wash and cut each tomato into 8-12 wedges.

Mix the dressing, the cut tomatoes and the bread together in a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours tossing every 20-30 minutes.  This salad is just as good the next day.

* Pronto Substitute

Dressing – You can substitute ¾ C of your favorite Italian dressing and optionally add the fresh herbs.

White Balsamic Vinegar – Use red wine vinegar.

Freselle – You can find this unique bread product in Italian specialty stores.  It looks like a squashed toasted bagel.  You can substitute 6 cups of Ciabatta bread that is cut into large cubes, tossed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon table salt, arranged in a single later on a baking sheet, and toasted in the oven at 400° until light gold in color (about 15-20 minutes tossed halfway through). Cool to room temperature before using. Do not soak in water, just toss with the dressing.

To print this recipe, go to Panzanella Tomato Salad