Panzanella is a great rustic Tuscan recipe, traditionally made with the ingredients below but can easily be changed to fit things you have in your fridge throughout the year. Panzanella is traditionally made as a way to repurpose leftover bread that soaks up the flavourful juices from the vegetables which may have gone to waste. Perfect for warm summer days or any time you crave a burst of Mediterranean goodness.
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices of stale bread, like a ciabatta or sourdough
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp vinegar, red wines good but can be any you have
- 1 small onion, red is preferable but could use white or spring
- 500g tomatoes, doesn't matter which type and if they are getting a bit soft, this is perfect
- A handful of olives, destoned
- 1 tbsp capers if you have them
- Few sprigs of soft herbs, basil, mint, parsley
Method
- If the bread is too stale to cut, splash it with a bit of water and warm it in the oven. When it is soft again it’s ready. Cut the bread into bite size chunks. It doesn’t have to be too accurate.
- Place in a bowl with the oil and vinegar, making sure the bread is coated as much as possible.
- Finally slice the onion and half the tomatoes. If they are bigger tomatoes, you might want to quarter them. Place the tomatoes, and any juice from your chopping board into the bowl with the bread and mix.
- Toss in the capers and smash the olives with the back of a knife and throw them in too.
- Rough chop half the herbs and add to the bowl with salt and pepper. Set aside for the bread to absorb the tomato juice or until the bread is at a consistency you like.
- Serve with a drizzle of oil and the rest of the herbs.
