Tomato Panzanella Salad

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: North American

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 538kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Traditionally prepared with an oil and vinegar dressing, my Tomato Panzanella Salad is prepared with the ripest and freshest tomatoes you can get your hands on, lots of toasted, hand-torn bread, seasonings, and mayonnaise. This salad is so simple, yet so delicious!

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Ingredients

4 large tomatoes, use beefsteak or roma tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
175 grams bread, use crusty bread like a baguette
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

Wash your tomatoes and pat them dry. Chop the tomatoes into half-inch chunks. Transfer the chopped tomatoes to a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Gently toss to combine and pour the seasoned tomatoes into a fine-mesh colander or sieve. Set the colander aside on a plate to catch the draining tomato juice. Don’t push any of the seeds or juice out of the tomatoes!
Next, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Tear the baguette into one-inch pieces. Place those into a bowl. Drizzle over two tablespoons of olive oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Toss well to ensure the bread pieces are well coated with olive oil.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Once the oven is fully heated, place the bread in the oven and toast for 5 minutes, or until the bread has browned and is crunchy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chopped parsley.
Add the tomatoes and toss well to combine.
Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Finally, add in the toasted bread. Toss to combine and serve immediately. Garnish with more ground black pepper, if desired, chopped parsley, and fresh basil leaves.

Notes

The recipe makes 3 servings as a main. If serving as a side, the recipe will serve 5-6 people. The nutritional information provided is for 1/3rd of the salad.

If you are using store-bought canned tomatoes for this recipe, buy the whole canned tomatoes and chop them yourself. Most canned tomatoes will have salt already, so you might not want to add any additional salt to the tomato prep part of the recipe. The best bet is to buy low-sodium or salt-free canned whole tomatoes.

Nutrition