Mouthwatering Panzanella Salad

Confession Time. I eat salad for lunch. Every. Day. I know it’s good for me, I know it’s part of my new years resolutions, abs are “made in the kitchen” all that… but guess what? I’m OVER it! I feel like I’ve been recycling the same five recipes again and again. Yesterday I could barely choke it down. I need a Salad- intervention. I’m making it my mission to find and create some healthy (but more importantly) DELICIOUS salads that will satisfy but also make me feel great. And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t share them with you guys?!? Each week I will be posting a brand new recipe on the blog, so take that, Resolutions!
First and Foremost is my adaptation of Italian Panzanella Salad. Panzanella salad is usually Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs and Bread. I wanted to make it a little heartier and healthier, adding more greens, substituting whole grain bread and including chickpeas for some protein.
Ingredients:
- 8 Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 English cucumber
- 3 Garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 Small bunch Parsley, fresh
- 1/2 Red onion
- 1 14 oz package Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
- Loaf Ciabatta or Baguette (I used multigrain)
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
For Dressing
- 1 tbsp. cup Olive oil
- 3 tbsp. Red wine vinegar
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350
- Slice Baguette into chunks the size of toonies and place bread chunks on baking sheet
- In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp. olive oil with pressed garlic
- Drizzle olive oil/ garlic mixture over baguette chunks
- Place in oven for 5 minutes until bread is golden in color
- Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl
- Chop all vegetables/ herbs
- Combine veggies with herbs in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in chickpeas and warm bread
- Drizzle with salad dressing
You can also add leftover or rotisserie chicken for a bit of extra protein!
Enjoy!