Tuscan Panzanella - Italian Bread Salad
Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
Accidentally vegan, Tuscan Panzanella is one of the quintissential comfort foods of the region and not to be missed if you are visiting beautiful Tuscany.
Panzanella is a dish typical of Tuscany a region in the north of Italy, an area that houses Florence a cultural center of the renaissance. If you haven't tried it yet then you must. It will wow you with its genuinely gorgeous taste and the simplicity of its ingredients.
An accidentally vegan dish, that along with Ribollita, is considered one of the quintissential comfort foods of the region and not to be missed if you are visiting beautiful Tuscany.
Tuscan panzanella is a fresh, tasty and super easy to prepare dish. It is also known as pansanella or panmolle and is a summer recipe that was born as an idea to make use of stale bread, perfect to be enjoyed as an appetizer or single dish. This is a dish that makes recycling tasty and ensures that every crumb is put to good flavourful use.
The version that I'm sharing with you today is the original one, which includes only a few but genuine and authentic ingredients:
- Pane Sciocco - Aka Tuscan bread (without salt, preferably)
- Ripe Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Red Onion
- Fresh Basil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- White Wine Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper
You can then if you so choose decide to put your own spin onto this dish by adding vegetable proteins that would make the dish more nutritionally complete, such as: soy ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, tofu, grilled seitan, vegan tuna and/or vegan hard-boiled eggs.
The origins of Panzanella
Panzanella is basically a dish that makes full use of all the ingredients you have. It is a dish from the poor and humble peasantry folk, which has its origins from the tables of ordinary Tuscan families. Once bread goes past that soft fluffy stage many people dismiss it as no longer good but this is not the case at all. This is a perfectly prepared ingredient for numerous dishes including our Panzanella.
Unmissable during the days of summer heat, it is satisfying and light at the same time.
Its name seems to derive from the union of the words "bread" and "zanella", which means tureen, and would refer to the custom, widespread among farmers, of soaking dry bread, to avoid wasting it, before adding it to vegetables available in your own vegetable garden.
The panzanella salad has come a long way since it was first made, to the point that it's now an essential recipe of summer for anyone with access to good quality tomatoes.
Tuscan Panzanella
Farmers would prepare the panzanella by wetting the old dry bread and enrich it with seasonal vegetables gathered in their gardens, mainly tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. These water rich vegetbles/fruits along with the oil would give fresh life to bread otherwise considered "bad"
How to serve Panzanella
Traditionally, panzanella is assembled directly on a serving dish, placing the soaked bread on the bottom and decorating it with the vegetables.
If you prefer a more refined or contemporary version, you can jazz it up and present it as a finger food ideal for aperitifs and buffets.
Just assemble the panzanella by alternating layers of bread and vegetables in small glasses or glass bowls, and decorating everything with fragrant basil leaves.
However you choose to present it, rustic or modern, this simple humble recipe will still have tons of flavour and have the spirit of those Tuscan peasants from centuries past.
Tuscan Panzanella Recipe
Ingredients:
200 g Stale Bread
250 g Ripe Tomatoes
50 g Red Onion
100 g Cucumber
50 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
30 g White Wine Vinegar
Water (to soak the bread)
Salt
Pepper
Method:
1. In a bowl, add water (about 250 ml/1 cup) and vinegar, and mix everything well.
2. Submerge the stale bread cut into cubes, then wait for it to soften (10 to 15 minutes).
3. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables by cutting them into slices or cubes, depending on your taste. If you use high quality onions you can use them straight away, otherwise soak them in a bowl of cool water after you chopped them up.
4. As soon as the bread has softened, take handfuls of it and squeeze it well, then arrange it on the base of a large bowl or serving dish.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and some basil leaves chopped by hand, season with oil, salt and pepper and mix well.
6. Chill the panzanella in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) before enjoying it.
Please note. Panzanella is one of those dishes that improves in taste over time. However make sure to enjoy it within two days from preparation.
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