Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad)

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 loaf (about 18 ounces) day-old semolina Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes -Ingredient

½ cup extra virgin olive oil. divided

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon minced shallot or garlic

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 firm ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, sliced thin

¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

2 tablespoons drained capers

½ cup small, pitted olives such as kalamata or Niçoise

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375° In a large salad bowl, toss the bread cubes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and place in oven to crisp and lightly brown, about 10 minutes, turning the cubes once. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
2. In the same salad bowl, lightly toss the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, basil leaves and capers with the cooled bread cubes; add salt and black pepper to taste.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining oil, the vinegar, shallot, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Pour the mixture over the salad and lightly toss to coat. Let the salad sit for 30 minutes to absorb the dressing and blend flavors. Add the olives and toss again just before serving.