Description
Greek panzanella salad delivers Mediterranean summer flavors with crisp bread, juicy tomatoes, and tangy feta. Ina Garten’s recipe brings fresh ingredients together for a delightful coastal-inspired dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes (6 cups or 180 g)
- ½ pound (225 g) feta cheese, cut in ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
- ½ cup (75 g) Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 pint (300 g) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick
- 1 red bell pepper, large diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
- ½ red onion, sliced in half rounds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup (120 ml) good olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup (60 ml) good red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Bread Preparation: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Toss bread cubes with salt, stirring frequently until achieving a crisp, golden-brown exterior, about 5-8 minutes. Add extra olive oil if needed to prevent drying.
- Vegetable Composition: Uniformly dice cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onion into consistent bite-sized pieces. Consolidate chopped vegetables in a spacious mixing bowl.
- Vinaigrette Creation: Blend minced garlic, dried oregano, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk vigorously while gradually streaming olive oil to form a smooth, well-integrated dressing.
- Final Assembly: Pour vinaigrette over vegetable mixture. Gently incorporate crumbled feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and toasted bread cubes. Allow salad to rest 25-30 minutes, enabling flavor integration. Serve at room temperature for optimal taste experience.
Notes
- Bread Toasting Tip: Low and slow is key for achieving perfectly crisp, golden-brown bread cubes without burning. Adjust heat and add extra olive oil if needed for even browning.
- Vegetable Cutting Technique: Maintain consistent, bite-sized pieces to ensure balanced flavor and texture in every forkful. Uniform chopping helps the dressing coat each ingredient evenly.
- Vinaigrette Emulsion Secret: Whisk vigorously while slowly streaming olive oil to create a smooth, well-blended dressing that clings beautifully to vegetables and bread.
- Flavor Melding Magic: Letting the salad rest for 25-30 minutes allows ingredients to absorb the vinaigrette, intensifying the overall taste profile and creating a more cohesive dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg