I love this salad when my homegrown tomatoes are at their best. I just toss together fat wedges of heartbreakingly juicy garden tomatoes, some onion, lots of shredded basil, chunks of bread, whatever cheese I have on hand and a terrific vinaigrette. It’s also a wonderful way to use up those gorgeous tomatoes from the garden when I’m starting to get weary (if that’s possible) of luscious tomato salads and delectable BLTs.
Use your bounty of sweet, vine-ripened tomatoes by putting this elegant lunch or supper on the table in minutes.
Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler
‘Early Girl’ is just one of the many popular tomato varieties that work well in bread salad.
Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler
Just a few basic ingredients help turn your homegrown tomatoes into a memorable meal!
Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler
The bread used in this recipe is key. No fluffy, bland, light bread, please. Go for the heavy, chewy artisan kinds now available at supermarkets, like a good loaf of ciabatta, a thick loaf of Italian bread or some French baguettes. You need bread that’s going to really stand up to all those juices soaking into it from your tomatoes. Fluffy bread just falls apart. (Ugh!)
In theory, the bread used in this dish is supposed to be leftover and stale – after all, it’s a recipe developed by impoverished Italians who didn’t want to waste a crumb. But we’re like a swarm of locusts in our house, and there’s almost never any good leftover bread around. So I buy a loaf especially for this salad, and it works beautifully.
I’m less picky about the cheese. Sure, I want good cheese (no gooey, salty, bland processed types need apply). But I’m as likely to include chunks of regular mozzarella remaining from my last lasagna project as I am bits of Montrachet goat cheese or some Fontina or Gruyère I might be able to rummage from the back of the fridge.
Mixing up the vinaigrette in advance is ideal, but if I’m rushed (or merely unmotivated), I simply drizzle and sprinkle olive oil, salt, minced garlic, cracked pepper and vinegar right over the bread and other ingredients and toss it all thoroughly with my hands.
Then I pour myself a nice big glass of Chianti (perfect for this Italian dish), put my feet up and enjoy a lovely dinner when I’m blessed with a few moments of rare quiet.
When there are more people in the house, I’m likely to leave out the cheese and serve it as a make-it-in-minutes side dish to grilled steaks or chicken (marinated in red wine, olive oil, some garden herbs and garlic for a half hour to an hour before grilling). The salad also makes a perfect meal on its own, and it’s nice enough for company if you start it with some sort of appetizer and finish it with a nice dessert. (And don’t forget the wine!)
Italian Bread Salad
Ingredients
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About 4-5 cups day-old, chewy, artisanal bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
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3 cups juicy, homegrown or farmers’ market tomatoes
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8 ounces fresh mozzarella or other soft cheese, cut into chunks
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¼ cup slivered red onion, chopped green onion or snipped chives
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1/3 cup slivered basil
Homemade Garlic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons white or regular balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
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¼ cup olive oil
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Kosher salt
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Freshly cracked pepper
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1 teaspoon minced garlic
Directions
Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl, or shake together in a lid-covered jar. If possible, let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to let the flavors blend.
Put other ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette, then toss gently (and well) with your hands or two large spoons. Adjust salt, pepper, oil and vinegar to taste. Then sit back and enjoy!
