Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
vegan / dairy free
when my parents came to visit, they brought me sooo many goodies from our local deli that I miss being in south now. one of the things they brought me was a bag of friselle. friselle almost looks like a crispy flat donut. it has been eaten for centuries because it’s actually dried bread, so it can last for a long time. when my parents left, I had so many of these left, and I thought these would make the perfect croutons. that’s when the idea of using them for a panzanella salad came to mind!
this recipe uses heirloom tomatoes, marinated onions which I’ve linked my recipe for, these friselle croutons, and a super delish and easy vegan pesto vinaigrette. of course, if you don’t have friselle, you can use any bread for this panzanella, but I find some of the best kinds are sourdough, itlian bread, ciabatta, or a baguette. the easiest way to use them is to wait for the bread to become stale. if your bread hasn’t gone stale yet, you can bake it in the oven low and slow until it hardens and becomes croutons.
Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
ingredients:
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, cubed
1 cup cubed stale bread (see above for types. dice into 1” cubes)
3/4 cup olive oil (divided in 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup marinated red onions
2 cup fresh basil + more to mix in salad
2 garlic clove
2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
directions:
mix together your heirloom tomatoes, cubed bread, marinated red onions (get the recipe for these here) and 1/4 cup of olive oil.
make your pesto vinaigrette. add 2 cups of basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
pour the pesto vinaigrette over the salad, add in some more fresh basil, and stir again.