Caprese Panzanella

Friday, August 20, 2010 in Cheese, Chicks Dig It, Food, Soups and Salads, Vegetarian


I think I revealed just how panzanella crazy I am when I raved about the stuff last month. Panzanella, for the uninitiated, is an Italian bread salad. “Bread salad” is not nearly as soggy as it might sound, by the way. Think delicious croutons in overdrive, combined with a bunch of other yummy stuff – pretty much pure non-soggy nirvana in a bowl. And it’s so easy to throw together.

When I came up with this adaptation, I was inspired in two ways:

  1. My freakish love for anything caprese. Tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella? Does it get any better?
  2. Something the witty, talented, and very cool Jennifer Jo from Mama’s Minutia said when she commented on the aforementioned perfect panzanella recipe: “…And what about adding some cubes of fresh homemade mozzarella cheese?“

Fresh mozzarella cheese added to panzanella? Oh heck yes. I’m not daring enough to try making my own cheese (yet), but I can certainly buy some at the store. And I can make this amazing salad, and I can scarf it down, and I can declare it one of the best things ever.

(By the way, I highly recommend a visit or three to Jennifer Jo’s blog. She’s a terrific writer – highly engaging and downright hilarious – and she’s got some great ideas and recipes. Bonus: those blue shoes in her avatar image? Too frickin’ cute.)

Caprese panzanella is just about exactly how it sounds: Bread, toasted in olive oil. Tomatoes. Lots of them. Basil. Lots of that. And, yes, cubes of fresh mozzarella. All tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette. So good.

Here’s the recipe!

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Caprese Panzanella

Adapted from my perfect panzanella recipe which was adapted from Barefoot Contessa’s panzanella recipe

Serves 2 – 4 (depending on appetite)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups day-old bread cubes (artisan types are best; I tend to use leftover baguettes)
  • 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes
  • 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes (I like these for color; another large tomato will work fine as a substitute if you prefer)
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella (about a cup’s worth of cheese when cubed)
  • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
  • Additional salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Vinaigrette dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I’m sure regular ol’ balsamic would be equally tasty)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large saute pan, and warm over medium heat.
  2. Keeping the heat on medium, add the bread cubes and the salt, and toss.
  3. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes, until the cubes are well toasted. Whenever the pan dries out, add a little more olive oil, about a tablespoon at a time.
  4. Remove bread cubes from heat and allow to cool completely.
  5. Seed and dice the tomatoes and add to a large bowl. I keep the tomato chunks large – about the same size as the bread cubes.
  6. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl.
  7. Give the basil a couple of rough chops, and throw it in.
  8. Dice the mozzarella and add that to the bowl, too.
  9. Add the cooled bread cubes.
  10. Make the viniagrette  in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.
  11. Pour the vinaigrette over the bread, veggies, basil, and cheese, and toss gently until well incorporated.
  12. Let sit for just a few minutes so the bread can soak in just a little of the vinaigrette.
  13. Add a little more salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

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This post was written by who has written 272 posts on The Hazel Bloom.

19 Responses to “Caprese Panzanella”

  1. Jennifer Jo Friday, August 20, 2010 at 4:03 PM #

    Kare, You are too sweet. And funny—I cackled out loud reading this.

    I’ve had white balsamic vinegar on my grocery list for several weeks now, but haven’t found any yet. Where do you get yours? Is it something I’ll have to order?

  2. Laurie Friday, August 20, 2010 at 7:36 PM #

    I want this one too. And the bowl. :) Problem is I’m too lazy to get organized, go grocery shopping, and make something for a group that’s just going to turn their noses up at it since it doesn’t resemble a chicken nugget. I’m trying to elicit sympathy here so you will just show up with a great big bowl of it for me :)

  3. Laurie Friday, August 20, 2010 at 7:38 PM #

    PS – I accidentally read the top of the page too fast and thought it read something like a neat-obsessed-freak and well…lol…:)

  4. Kare Friday, August 20, 2010 at 7:46 PM #

    Jennifer Jo, I get my white balsamic vinegar at Trader Joe’s. But regular old brown should work fine – I just think white balsamic is prettier sometimes and since it’s so cheap at TJ’s, I’m all over it.

    Laurie, maybe we need a girl’s night! And, HEY! Regarding neat-obsessed-freak. Hee hee. ;)

  5. Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 6:12 PM #

    This looks so good – your pictures are really beautiful!

  6. Lizzie Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 7:03 AM #

    That looks gorgeous! Caprese is truly delicious. I may give this a try, as I’ve never succeeded at making anything resembling a cruton before.

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  9. Heidi / foodiecrush Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 9:04 PM #

    The addition of mozzarella is a great idea and good option for vegetarians at a BBQ

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    Love to try this dish! Thanks for sharing..

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