Grilled Vegetable Panzanella Salad
A perfect summer side dish. Loaded with grilled vegetables, whole wheat baguette and tossed in a lemon herb vinaigrette.
I love a good panzanella salad. The crispy hearty bread, soaked in an Italian vinaigrette and tossed with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Although I like the traditional version very much I wanted to make use of the seasonal vegetables I had on hand and incorporate them into this dish.
My version of panzanella salad is made with whole wheat crusty bread, parmesan cheese, lemon-herb vinaigrette and loaded with roasted vegetables.
The salad is bursting with flavor in every bite. The juices from the grilled vegetables and the lemon-herb vinaigrette get soaked into the hearty bread.
To get the full effect of this salad make sure to get vegetables, cheese, and bread in every bite. You’ll be glad you did!
Panzanella salad works best with crispy, day old bread. If you bought the bread today or did not leave it out the night before, simply place in the oven and broil until lightly golden brown and crispy. You can even place the bread on the grill along with your vegetables. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it.
This recipe is very simple to make. While the vegetables are cooking prepare the lemon herb vinaigrette. When the vegetables are ready cut them into bit size pieces and toss with the vinaigrette and bread.
If you do not have a grill at home like me, I recommend using a cast iron grill pan. You still get the same grill marks as well as the nice smokey flavor.
This Grilled Vegetable Panzanella Salad can be served family style on a platter perfect for a backyard barbecue. You can even make this a meal by adding grilled chicken, fish, or steak.
Garnish the salad with extra parsley and lemon. Drizzle with olive oil as desired and serve immediately.
Also, don’t forget to enter my Giveaway for the 3 Piece Professional Baking Mat Set. Contest ends Thursday, July 31st. Good luck!
The winner will be picked and announced Monday, August 4th, 2014.
Grilled Vegetable Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
Panzanella Salad
- 1 whole wheat baguette cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium zucchini sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms left whole
- 1/2 of a red pepper quartered
- 1/2 of a yellow pepper quartered
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
- 1 ounce red wine vinegar
- 3 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of salt
Instructions
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To begin, toss your vegetables in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill over medium high heat. The vegetables will take about 7-10 minutes to cook. The bell peppers will take the longest. Flip the vegetables half way through. When the vegetables are cooked cut them into medium bite size pieces. I left my zucchini and onions whole. I just diced up my mushrooms and bell peppers.
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To make the vinaigrette whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with parsley, oregano and salt and pepper.
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In a large bowl combine the grilled vegetables and baguette. Drizzle with the lemon-herb vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve on a platter and garnish with extra lemon and parsley. You can also drizzle a bit more olive oil as well. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If your baguette is not crusty enough or you did not use day old bread place bread on a baking sheet under a broiler on high and let cook for about 2-4 minutes. Keep a very close eye on it. Do not walk away.