Staff Recipe: Chloe’s Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds of ripe tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

¾ pound baguette (sourdough, ciabatta, or other hearty bread); cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

½ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil

1 small shallot, or other type of onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp red or white wine vinegar

½ cup packed basil leaves, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chopped tomatoes in a colander set over a large bowl and season them with a few teaspoons of salt. Toss to coat and let them sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Toss bread cubes with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and set on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm and crisp, but not browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

After 15 minutes, remove colander with tomatoes and set aside. Add shallot, garlic, mustard, and vinegar to the bowl of tomato juice. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper

Combine toasted bread, tomatoes, and basil in the bowl with the dressing, and toss everything to coat. Let it rest 30 minutes before serving to let dressing soak into bread.