Panzanella
Description
Minimum effort — excellent result. Here's how to make panzanella at home: 1. You can use yesterday's French baguette — let's give it a second life. If you don't have a baguette, any white or dark bread of your choice will work. Cut the bread into large cubes. You can dry the cubes in a skillet, but I prefer doing it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the bread cubes on it, drizzle with olive oil (a couple of tablespoons), sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes, no more than 15. While the bread is toasting, let's prepare the remaining ingredients. 2. Wash cucumbers, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Remove the seeds from the pepper. Cut all vegetables into large cubes. By the way, you can use any seasonal vegetables or fruits here — avocado, grapefruit, cauliflower, etc. 3. Peel the onion and slice it thinly into half-rings. 4. Crumble the cheese as well. Note that you can omit the cheese in this salad, but it will make the dish much more filling. 5. In a small separate bowl, prepare the dressing: mince the garlic using a press, then add oregano, mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well. 6. Right before serving, combine the vegetables and toasted bread in a bowl, pour over the dressing, mix gently, and serve garnished with fresh basil leaves. You can serve it immediately.