published 6/8/2020
Panzanella is a delicious stale bread and tomato salad from Tuscany. It is a simple recipe but the dish itself it absolutely full of flavor. My Perfectly Imperfect salad has a few extras like a Balsamic glaze, shaved Pecorino cheese, and well of course Skirt Steak. I wanted a hearty dinner salad and the added protein definitely created that. Grilled Shrimp or Chicken would also be a great addition if you need to fill up some bellies!!
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
ingredients
- 1 loaf stale Bread (cut into cubes)*
- 2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 – 1 1/2 lb Skirt or Flank Steak**
- 2 large Tomatoes (cut into small pieces)
- 2-3 cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (sliced in half)
- 1 Cucumber (cut in half then sliced into small pieces)
- 1/2 Red Onion or 1-2 Shallots (very thinly sliced)
- Shaved Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese
- handful of Basil (chiffonade)
- Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste
*I used a wonderful Whole Grain Seeded Sourdough loaf, but any crusty bread will do the trick. If it isn’t already stale, you can bake it for about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven to get the same texture.
**With these cuts of Steak, make sure to remove all the connective tissue and hard fat pieces before cooking it. And always heavily season with Salt as far in advance as you can to tenderize the meat. It will also make it much juicier.
instructions
- Make the Vinaigrette. Whisk Oil and Vinegar together with Salt and Pepper to taste.
- Put the Bread Cubes in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Mix together so all the cubes are coated. (Using you hands will work best here.) Set aside to absorb for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the Balsamic Glaze. In a small saucepan, heat Vinegar over medium high heat until it begins to boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes or until it gets nice and thick.
- Drizzle the Steak with a bit of high heat Oil (Avocado) and season with lots of Pepper (and Salt if you didn’t already.) Place the meat on a broiler pan covered with Aluminum Foil. Broil on high 3 minutes, flip, and 3 minutes on the other side. Let sit for up to 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing. *Make sure to slice the meat against the grain! This is very important with these cuts – otherwise the meat will be tough.
- In another large bowl, mix together Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Shallots. Season with a bit of Salt and Pepper. Add in the soaked Bread cubes and stir to combine. Top with sliced Steak and drizzle the Balsamic glaze.
- Finish with the Cheese, Basil, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper. ENJOY!!
Did you try this recipe? Please share any comments or suggestions below!!
