After a very long food blogging break, I am back! Life is certainly crazy around here especially in light of the fact that we welcomed our fourth son into the world just over two weeks ago. But I miss blogging and there are quite a few recipes making the blog rounds that I am dying to try!
This delicious Greek Panzanella is one of my very favorite salad standbys. I just made an entire batch for myself today and ate a huge plate full for lunch. It is SO yummy! I love the bright flavors from the different veggies and the simple vinaigrette. And whoever thought that bread belonged in salad was a genius in my book! This recipe would be perfect to take to a summer BBQ. It can be eaten at room temp and doesn’t require refrigeration. Enjoy!!
Ingredients:
For the salad:
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 cups French bread cubes (1 inch)
Kosher salt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, large diced
1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ red onion, sliced thin
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
2.5 oz. can sliced black olives, drained (kalamatas would also be good if you like that sort of thing)
For the vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1¼ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Directions:
To prepare the salad, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over medium-low heat, tossing frequently, for 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the heat.
Combine the cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onion in a large bowl. To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives, and bread cubes. Mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend (if you can wait that long!)
