Grilled Panzanella Salad

Summer has finally arrived in South Carolina!!  The weather here has been so murky lately -- clouds and rain -- totally atypical of springtime in the South.  This past week has been a total change -- sunshine and in the 80s!  This kind of weather gets me in the mood to fire up the grill!  My husband is in charge of the grill in this house and he does an amazing job -- but I'm always looking for unique recipes that include grilled food -- and this recipe fits the bill perfectly!  

I love panzanella salads because they incorporate my favorite things -- fresh veggies, meats, cheeses and bread, all in one fabulous bowl!  And this salad is particularly fabulous with it's tangy dressing, sliced salami and grilled veggies.  Yum.  This is the perfect side dish to your weeknight or weekend grilling!  

Grilled Panzanella Salad (serves 6-8)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3 medium tomatoes, halved

6 scallions 

2 large bell peppers, any color, quartered

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

one 10 oz loaf ciabatta, halved lengthwise

1/2 c. fresh torn herbs (basil, parsley)

1/4 lb thinly sliced salami, cut into 2 inch ribbons

1.  Preheat grill to medium high.  Make the dressing: whisk extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  

2.  Brush grill with extra virgin olive oil.  Put tomatoes in bowl; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill about 2 minutes and transfer to baking sheet.  Oil and grill all veggies and bread.  Cool.

3.  Cut up veggies and bread into bite sized pieces.  Add herbs, salami, dressing and any veggie juices.  Toss and serve.

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.