Tuscan Panzanellawith bread, tomato, and basil
A Tuscan salad where stale bread soaks up tomato juices, olive oil, and vinegar, maintaining its texture among cucumber, onion, and basil.
Panzanella is a resourceful salad where the bread does not act as dry croutons but as an element hydrated by the vegetable juices and dressing. Resting seasons the bread without turning it into a paste; ripe tomato, onion, cucumber, and basil preserve the fresh profile of this Tuscan preparation.
Ingredients
Bread
Vegetables
Finishing
Dressing
Seasoning
Preparation
Extract the tomato juice
Season the tomatoes with half the salt in a sieve over a bowl and let drain for 20 minutes.
20 minutesPrepare the bread
Toast the cubes for 8 to 10 minutes at 180 °C just until the surface dries; let cool.
10 minutesMake the dressing
Mix the collected tomato juice with olive oil, vinegar, remaining salt, and pepper.
5 minutesAssemble the salad
Toss bread, tomato, cucumber, and onion in the dressing without crushing the ingredients.
5 minutesRest and finish
Let rest for 15 minutes, add basil, and serve while the bread still holds its structure.
15 minutes
Substitutions
Very fresh bread turns into mush; other vinegars change acidity but can be used in adjusted amounts.
Storage
Keep refrigerated and consume the same day; the bread continues absorbing liquid during storage.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 12 hours under refrigeration.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
