Greek Style Bread Salad with Creamy Lemon Caper Dressing

Some of my favorite salads are those that include giant hunks of bread {real croutons, not the bagged ones}, also known as panzanella salad.  These homemade croutons are not just a topping for the salad, but a main ingredient, deserving as much attention as the perfect tomato, the crispest lettuce or the tangiest dressing.  I’m loving this salad -- it’s meatless but still hearty enough for lunch or even dinner because of those divine croutons.  

When making your own croutons, most recipes call for day old bread brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven.  For me, I tend to skip the olive oil and use plain old cooking spray, a lighter and easier option, in my opinion.  Also, bread never lasts long enough in my house to be “day old” so I end up buying a new baguette and find my croutons come out just right anyway!  You want to make sure they are toasted on the outside but still chewy on the inside.  Perfect!

The dressing for this salad isn’t the usual “Greek” dressing, which I love.  The base is greek yogurt, creating a creamy tang that is protein packed, delicious and lighter than run in the mill bottled dressings.  Throw on some grilled lemon chicken and you’ve got yourself a full blown, healthy summer meal!

Greek Style Bread Salad with Creamy Lemon Caper Dressing

One french baguette, cubed

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 

2 finely chopped cloves garlic

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon zest

chopped romaine lettuce (I used 2 heads)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 small red onion, sliced

2 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Brush bread cubes with olive oil and bake 10 minutes.
2. In large bowl, add chopped garlic; whisk in yogurt, lemon juice, zest and 2 tsp olive oil.  Toss with lettuce, tomato, onion and capers.  Season with pepper and top with bread cubes.