You may or many not know what panzanella salad is… but bottom line is you should!  It’s a traditional Italian bread salad.  And let’s face it, the best way to make salad better is to make one out of bread right?!

Panzanella Salad

Serves 8

What you’ll need:

1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

8-10 roma tomatoes, de-seeded and diced

a large handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

2/3 cup plus olive oil

1/4 cup plus white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

In a large bowl, toss the onions with a big pinch of salt and add about a 1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar and 2/3 cup olive oil. Set aside.

Brush the slices of bread with olive oil and grill lightly on both sides.  Let cool and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Add the bread in with the onions and toss to coat.  Add in the diced tomatoes and basil and toss gently.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve shortly. (do not make too far ahead of time or the bread will get soggy)

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