Tomato salad, my summer must-have freshness (also with cold soup, yes). here i made one Panzanella, It is a tomato and cucumber salad, with crumbs of dry bread, native to the region of Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
This idea has been on my mind for a few months, ever since I started making my own homemade roti. I haven’t told you my process for making sourdough and homemade sourdough bread yet, but it will come. When I’ve mastered it to help you out when you need it, I’ll give you my sourdough recipe and some of my bread-making tips.
In the meantime, since I don’t eat all the bread I make and don’t like to spoil, I looked for solutions so that nothing gets thrown away. After making my Homemade Breadcrumbs and Garlic Croutons, I cut my leftover bread into cubes, which I froze until the right season… with this idea in mind.
Tomato Salad with Panzanella, Dry Bread
Among the ideas for using dry bread, panzanella is definitely one of my favorites. Tomatoes, olive oil and basil. It’s not a very fancy salad, that’s for sure. We’re on a daily, local cuisine, a cuisine that I love: cooking leftovers, cooking anti-waste. This salad is the perfect example of how delicious recycling can be.
I had the idea for this salad during confinement (yes, this period gave rise to a lot of creative ideas and different desires) but it wasn’t really tomato season… so I took my poor patience, and I Look forward to when tomatoes are fleshy and full of sunshine, and when temperatures make you want to treat tomatoes.
This Tuscan salad is perfect to withstand high temperatures because it hydrates well, and it stays put without tipping over your stomach!
I love different tomato salads in the summer: playing with colors and shapes, having fun with monochrome as well as multicolored forms. And I must say this vegan version, without any animal products, gets most people to agree! This can be the central plan of the meal, or it can be completely up to you!
Which bread for panzanella?
For my salad, I chose sourdough bread because it’s what I like best, a bread made with semi-wheat flour and rye, my favorite mix. But there is no specific bread to make this salad, it really is with the bread you have on hand…. And writing you these lines, I tell myself that it would be a real pleasure if this bread was a little dry focaccia, or even better, a ciabatta bread! I salute you in advance!
Which tomato varieties to choose for a good tomato salad?
So there, the quality of your tomatoes will be very important. And after that, it is up to you to decide as per your taste. I prefer varieties with lots of meat such as the famous beef heart but Andean retort (or horned Andean, elongated in shape) or even pineapple tomatoes with their lovely yellow and orange hues. I also like small cherry tomatoes, which taste like candy, a little sweet
You can also choose black Crimean tomatoes, which have a mild and slightly tangy flavor. I recommend you just avoid the green zebras, which aren’t the preferred variety here, but which are delicious in a fennel and avocado salad!
Panzanella Tomato Salad Recipe
And without any delay, here is the recipe of this delicious tomato salad with dry roti. You can use any tomato you want, and you can also add a little inspiration to your salad with black olives, anchovies or tuna (panzanella alla marinara) and vary between white onions and red onions.
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