20 MINS | FEEDS 4 AS A SIDE
Panzanella
When I have a big haul of juicy tomatoes, I love to make panzanella. It’s also a great way to use up any stale bread you have lying around.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C.
In a small bowl, scrunch the thinly sliced onion with the red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside to macerate while you make the croutons.
In a large bowl mix 4 tbsp olive oil, the grated garlic and oregano. Add the torn bread and toss well to coat. Transfer to a tray and bake for 8-12 minutes until golden (the exact time will depend on what bread you’re using), keep an eye on them to be sure they don’t catch.
In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), whisk the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil and the vinegar from the onions. Add the croutons, macerated onions, tomatoes, capers, a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well so that everything is coated in dressing. Set aside for 10 mins to allow the croutons to soak up the dressing and soften slightly. Taste for seasoning and toss through the basil leaves just before serving.
INGREDIENTS
½ small onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp red wine, sherry or muscatel vinegar
7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely grated
Pinch of dried oregano
¼ loaf of stale bread, torn into bite size pieces
300g tomatoes (I like to use a mixture of colours and varieties if possible), sliced or roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp capers, to taste
Bunch of basil leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
