This past weekend, I had one of those remember-it-always food experiences. Our dear friends hosted their annual pig roast, feeding local wild boar to over 100 people. Cooked over an open flame for over 5 hours, the boar tasted like nothing that I had ever had before. So flavorful. So delicious. And just as amazing were all the wonderful side dishes that came with it.
Admittedly, my particular favorite was the panzanella salad. Having enjoyed the salad as much as I did, I took a stab a creating my own, lighter version (less bread, more greens). Fresh tomatoes (of course), crunchy artisan bread, arugula. And then I added some sprouts and cucumbers, my personal go-to salad staples. With a few small adjustments to the traditional panzanella recipe, I was able to create a healthier, easy-to-make, hearty summer salad.
Ingredients
2-3 cups artisan bread, cut into 1″ cubes
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 can garbanzo beans
large handful of arugula
1 cup sunflower sprouts
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil plus 3-4 tablespoons for toasting the bread
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt & pepper to taste
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Add the bread to a large mixing bowl and toss with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Spread the bread out evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and continue toasting for another 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Toss the red onion, cucumber, garbanzo beans, mint and basil together in a large salad bowl. Dress with the vinegar & remaining olive oil. Add the arugula, sprouts and bread cubes. Season with the lemon juice, salt & pepper. Enjoy.
Serves 4
