Panzanella Salad with White Beans
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Red Wine Vinaigrette 10 tbsp
- best-quality fresh ripe tomatoes 1 lb
- Kosher
- large shallot 1
- cannellini beans 2
- ciabatta 6 cup
- extra virgin olive oil 1-1.5 tbsp
- fresh basil leaves 1 cup
- Persian or English cucumber 6 oz
- capers 2 tbsp
- large red bell pepper 1
- Whipped Tofu 8 tbsp
If gluten free, and you want to substitute the bread with potatoes, you have two options: (1) Make the recipe as written but skip the bread (you’ll likely need to use less Red Wine Vinaigrette), then serve the salad with roasted potatoes on the side; check out the recipe for Oven Roasted Potatoes in The Grains & Starches Handbook. Start the meal by cooking the potatoes, then continue with the recipe while they roast; OR (2) Replace the toasted bread with boiled baby potatoes: cut baby red or golden potatoes in half, add to a saucepan of cold water, and season very generously with salt; bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 to 12 minutes until just fork-tender; drain. Fold the potatoes into the salad in step 8(a) in lieu of the toasted bread cubes. Storage: The toasted bread cubes can be kept in a container or ziploc bag at room temperature for 1 week, so toss only the amount of bread cubes into the salad that you plan to eat at one time. Store the salad (without the bread) in the fridge for about 2 days. When ready to serve, toss the salad with the toasted bread cubes, adding Red Wine Vinaigrette and freshly chopped basil as desired. Top with Whipped Tofu right before serving. (Note: If you already tossed the bread with the salad, it’s still delicious as leftovers! The bread just gets a bit soggy.) Nutrition boost: For added protein, sprinkle the salad with hemp seeds. Shortcut: Skip draining the tomatoes in a colander and tossing the tomato juices with the Red Wine Vinaigrette; instead, just toss the chopped tomatoes with the rest of the salad in step 8; add more Red Wine Vinaigrette to taste. Shortcut: Simplify the salad by skipping the red bell pepper, shallot, and/or capers.
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1Gather: Red Wine Vinaigrette , best-quality fresh ripe tomatoes , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, large shallot , cannellini beans , ciabatta , extra virgin olive oil , fresh basil leaves , Persian or English cucumber , capers , large red bell pepper , Whipped Tofu .
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2Take the Red Wine Vinaigrette out of the fridge. If the oil has solidified, set the jar in a bowl of hot water to come to room temp.
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3Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 175ºC.
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4Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces; if using cherry tomatoes, cut in half. Arrange a colander over a medium bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes to the colander and season with 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Gently toss to coat. Set aside to rest while you prep everything else, tossing occasionally.
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5In a large bowl, combine the sliced shallot and drained beans. Pour on 1 tbsp of Red Wine Vinaigrette and toss to coat. Set aside.
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6Cut the bread into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. On a sheet pan, toss the bread with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp kosher salt (add more oil if it feels dry). Bake for 12-15 minutes , until golden, crisp, and mostly dried out.
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7While the bread bakes, prep the other ingredients. Tear the basil leaves with your hands or chop them. Slice the cucumber into half moons, about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. Drain and measure out the capers.
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8Finish the dressing: When the tomatoes are done draining, keep the tomato juices in the bowl. Shake the jar of Red Wine Vinaigrette to re-emulsify. Pour 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette into the tomato juices, whisking well.
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9Finish the salad: Add the cucumber, capers, and bell peppers to the bean mixture. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add in the toasted bread cubes, drained tomatoes, basil, and the finished dressing. Toss very well, then season with 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt and a few cracks of pepper. Taste, adding an extra tablespoon of Red Wine Vinaigrette as needed.
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10Divide the panzanella between bowls. Dollop each serving with 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45g) of Whipped Tofu.