Chef notes
Growing up, there was one old-school Italian-American restaurant that was the place to be on Friday night (there weren’t a whole lot of options in suburban Dallas). Appetizers would flow across the checkerboard tablecloths — Caprese salads, antipasto platters, minestrone soup and bruschetta — followed by heaping plates of pasta. My family always ordered penne alla vodka and cheesy fettuccine to share. The one thing that was all mine was the antipasto platter.
I wanted nothing more than to have options when it came to my Friday night dinner. There were always a few different meats and cheeses to choose from, but my favorite part was the “extras.” I enjoyed biting into briny olives, pickled peppers and marinated vegetables. Most of all, you could scoop it all up with the warm bread that was brought to the table. This panzanella salad is an ode to that long-adored antipasto platter. All of the usual antipasto components such as cured meat, mozzarella, vegetables and olives find their way into this warm bread salad.
Perhaps the most important step is the croutons. You want to get the bread nice and crunchy (almost too crunchy). Since they are going to absorb so much of the balsamic vinaigrette, they will soften as they soak. Once the croutons have cooled, you can assemble the rest of the platter. Soft mozzarella cheese and salami are the main components, with jarred marinated artichoke hearts, pickled cherry peppers and meaty Castelvetrano olives play a supporting role. You can arrange all of the ingredients in piles for people to pick at (ideal if you’re serving this as an appetizer), or you can tear the cheese into bite-size pieces and toss it together with the bread, meat and vegetables.
Technique Tip: Allowing the bread to soak up the olive oil for a few minutes creates the crunchiest possible croutons.
Swap Option: Substitute the salami for any other cured meats that you enjoy such as prosciutto, soppressata or coppa.
Ingredients
- 5 cups torn or cubed ciabatta or sourdough
- 1/3 plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 6 ounces salami, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (12-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, halved (or quartered if large)
- 1 cup pickled cherry peppers, halved
- 3/4 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
- 3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 375 F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread with ¼ cup of oil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes to let the bread absorb the oil. Bake, stirring once, until the croutons are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil until smooth. Transfer one-third of the dressing to a small bowl.
3.Add the warm bread to the large bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Let stand until the bread softens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the mozzarella, salami, artichoke hearts, cherry peppers and olives and toss to combine. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle with the basil leaves.
