Beefsteak Tomato Panzanella

Name: Beefsteak Tomato Panzanella
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: Half a loaf of coarse, country-style Italian bread, preferably 2 or 3 days old (see note); 1 medium red onion, sliced very thinly; 3 large beefsteak tomatoes; About 20 large leaves of fresh basil (1/2 cup chopped); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 clove garlic; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

By Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Updated May 30, 2024

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(30)
Comments: Read comments

Save this classic Tuscan bread and tomato salad, flavored with basil, for summer's depths, when juicy tomatoes brim with flavor. Nice, firm beefsteaks are best here; save the highly perfumed, softer-fleshed tomatoes for soups and sauces.

Featured in: CULINARY JOYS OF SUMMER'S BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share this recipe
Print this recipe
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

Half a loaf of coarse, country-style Italian bread, preferably 2 or 3 days old (see note)
1medium red onion, sliced very thinly
3large beefsteak tomatoes
About 20 large leaves of fresh basil (½ cup chopped)
1teaspoon salt
1clove garlic
½cup extra-virgin olive oil
2tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Cut the crusts off the bread, and cut the bread into chunks. Place in a bowl and cover with water. Leave for 15 minutes. Then drain, and squeeze the bread dry between your hands. Tear the bread into rough chunks, and place in a large salad bowl. You should have at least 2 cups of torn bread pieces.
Step 2
Add thinly sliced onion to the bread and mix well. Cut the tomatoes into large bite-size chunks and add to the bowl. Chop the basil, add it, and then mix the contents of the bowl well.
Step 3
In a separate small bowl, place the salt. Mash the clove of garlic with a knife blade, chop it roughly and add to the salt. Using the back of a spoon, crush the garlic in the salt to form a smooth paste. Add oil and vinegar and mix well.
Step 4
Add the dressing to the salad, and mix together very well. Set aside, covered, in a cool place for an hour or longer to develop flavors.

Tip

This dish should be made with a bread that has a hard crust and a coarse texture. Any other kind becomes soft and mushy, and the salad loses all character. An excellent bread for panzanella is the pane toscano in Giuliano Bugialli's ''Fine Art of Italian Cooking.'' Ideally, the bread should be stale, but you can cheat with fresh bread if you dry it out for about 30 minutes in a 250-degree oven.