Panzanella Pizza Salad
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6
Ingredients:
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 baguette (stale works best)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, torn or diced, or about 1 cup of pre-shredded mozzarella
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Chop the tomatoes, removing core. Chop cucumber, peeling if desired. Chop pepper, removing core and seeds. Mix vegetables together in a large bowl.
- Chop the baguette into bite-size pieces. Toss with the vegetables.
- Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add to the bowl. Add mozzarella cheese.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix together the olive oil, minced garlic, and salt. Pour over the salad.
- Gently toss everything together. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
- Enjoy!
Notes:
Baguettes, originating in France in 1920, are long, thin loaves of bread. The longer, thinner the baguette allowed bakers to prepare and bake faster. A baguette in France can be seen topped with chocolate, grilled cheese, butter, and jam.
Panzanella is a traditional salad from Italy made from stale bread.