Recipe: Individual Panzanella (Mediterranean Bread Salad)
Description: This is how I like to prepare this delicious and filling salad. Feel free to adjust the amount of any ingredient to your liking and experiment with different kinds of vegetable (such as artichokes, grilled peppers, grilled pumpkin, mushrooms, ...) or cheese (smoked ricotta, parmesan, pecorino, smoked scamorza, ...). I especially like pumpkin seed oil instead of olive oil. If you like olives and/or capers, you may sprinkle some over the already prepared salad. I believe, it's best, when it's served slightly warm(ed by the vegetable slices).
Ingredients: [{"text": "250 g ciabatta (fresh or stale and toasted)"}, {"text": "250 g cherry tomatoes"}, {"text": "1 medium sized zucchini"}, {"text": "1 medium sized aubergine (eggplant)"}, {"text": "100 g corn kernels (canned is allright)"}, {"text": "1 small red onion (coarsly chopped)"}, {"text": "100 g cannellini beans (or kidney, canned)"}, {"text": "125 g mozzarella cheese (buffalo, torn into bite size pieces)"}, {"text": "2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts"}, {"text": "2 -3 garlic cloves (minced)"}, {"text": "4 tablespoons olive oil (or 3-4 TB pumpkin seed oil)"}, {"text": "3 -4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar"}, {"text": "2 tablespoons chopped basil (or a mix of fresh italian herbs)"}, {"text": "kosher salt and pepper"}, {"text": "shaves parmesan cheese (optional)"}]
Instructions: Cut zucchini and aubergine in rounds and place on baking tray lined with parchment paper or cookie sheet.
Brush/drizzle with 1 TB olive oil and salt lightly.
Bake in oven for about 15-20 minute until golden brown and crispy.
Chop or tear ciabatta bread in bite size pieces.
Transfer ready zucchini and aubergine slices to a bowl (you may want to cut aubergine rounds into halves or quarters, according to their size).
Cut cherry tomatoes in halves.
Toss zucchini, aubergines, onion slices, corn kernels, cannelinni beans (both corn and beans without liquid) and tomatoes in a large salad bowl.
Add mozzarella chunks (smoked riccotta is delicious as well) and minced garlic. Toss carefully.
Add remaining 3 TB of olive oil (or pumpink seed oil) and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Toss again carefully.
Add (toasted) bread chunks and toss, see, that salad dressing and vegetable liquid is absorbed by the ciabatta chunks.
Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
Enjoy!
