Panzanella with Peaches, Mint & Cucumber
A great Summer salad, with crusty bread, juicy peaches, fresh cucumber, mint and greens, mixed with a yummy, citrus dressing.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Citrus Dressing
- 1 tsp. Lemon zest
- 1 tsp. Orange zest
- 1/4 c. Lemon juice
- 1/4 c. Fresh orange juice (alt: prepared juice)
- 1 tsp. Honey
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 c. Extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 3-4 Tb. Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 c. Ciabatta, Boule, French or other bread, 1" pieces
- 3 Large, ripe peaches, pitted & sliced
- 1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
- 1 c. Cherry or Grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 Scallions, trimmed & thinly sliced
- 2 c. Baby greens and/or chopped, tender lettuce (add in some bitter greens like watercress or baby arugula for the best flavor)
- 1+ Tb. Fresh mint leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Add Dressing ingredients to a lidded jar and shake vigorously; set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
- If your bread is stale, simply add the 1" chunks to a mixing bowl. If not, add 3 Tb. olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the bread and roast until brown (8-10 mins) - keep turning so all sides get brown (add more oil, if needed); transfer bread to a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool a few minutes. (Note: you can even avoid the stove altogether by grilling the bread.)
- To the bread, add peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes and scallions. Pour in 1/2 the dressing and stir gently so all the bread gets coated. Let this sit about 15 minutes, stirring periodically to blend the flavors. After 15 minutes, add greens and mint, several more tablespoons of the dressing (to taste - you don't want to drown it in dressing), mix gently again and serve!