Panzanella salad may not be a traditional southern dish, but it sure fits in with our hot summer days and you don't even have to turn the oven on for homemade croutons - just grill your bread instead!
Panzanella Salad on Romaine
Yeah, yeah... I know. Panzanella salad isn't southern and it usually isn't served with lettuce either, but I like mine that way so that is how I eat it.I just mix up the panzanella - a salad that was probably originally born out of the need to use up stale bread and whatever else happened to be in abundance in the garden - and then I spoon it over crisp romaine lettuce.
The early panzanella salads probably did not even utilize tomatoes, but these days, it is pretty much built around the two - bread and tomatoes - and then mixed with whatever fresh garden veggies are on hand.
Panzanella was not a salad I grew up with and the first time I tried it, I made the one that uses soaked bread that you then squeeze out and tear. Not a fan.
But, toast the bread and it's a whole 'nother story! Take that up a level and infuse that bread with garlic olive oil, and it's a real winner.
You can really make this salad your own with a mixture of whatever vegetables you have on hand, or like, but some veggies you might include are red onion, red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers, cucumber, squash or zucchini.
Fresh mozzarella is a great add-in, so throw some cubes in if you happen to have some on hand, tear in some fresh basil leaves if you like, add some chopped garlic, and maybe even some pitted kalamata olives. Some people even like to include capers and anchovies to add a level of saltiness.
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