Meet our spring panzanella – a vibrant twist on the classic Tuscan bread salad.
With fresh courgettes and crunchy edamame beans, this dish is a great way to use up leftover stale bread.
Enjoy!
Notes:
Use gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten free.
It’s typical to use stale bread for this recipe, since it has a firmer texture that allows it to absorb the juices from the dressing without becoming soggy.
We like to use extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe but regular olive oil will do, too.
To make the dressing, add the minced garlic, red wine vinegar and oil to a large salad bowl, followed by pinches of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Peel the courgette into 3mm-thick ribbons, then add to the mixing bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Set the bowl aside and leave the courgettes to marinate while you carry out the next steps.
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / 425°F. Roughly chop the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and tear the bread into chunks. Transfer both to a large baking tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Roast for 10 minutes or until the bread is golden and crispy and the asparagus is cooked.
Next, cook the edamame as per the packet instructions and drain once ready.
Use a rolling pin to bash the cucumber until it softens and splits. Then slice it into bite-sized pieces. Add to the mixing bowl, followed by the spring onion, basil and dill.
Once cooked, add the drained edamame to the mixing bowl along with the roasted bread and asparagus.
Stir the panzanella to combine all of the flavours. We like to leave the salad to sit for 20 minutes before serving so the bread soaks up the dressing.
Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.
