Greek Panzanella Salad
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 4 cups day-old rustic bread, cut into 1” cubes
  • 2 sm. sweet baby bell peppers (red or yellow or one of each)
  • 1 sm. English cucumber, partially peeled, seeded & cut in cubes
  • 3 cups ripe summer tomatoes, cut into chunks (or grape or cherry tomatoes)
  • ¼ sm. red onion, sliced thinly
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives, cut in half
  • 1 cup Greek Feta cheese in brine, drained and cut into cubes
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
  • 1 med clove of garlic, pressed
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
  1. Prepare all the vegetables. Slice the little peppers into ribbons. Cut the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut it again into cubes. Cut the tomatoes into ½” chunks. (If using grape or cherry tomatoes, cut them in half.) Slice the red onion very thinly (see note below). Place all vegetables in a large bowl.
  2. To the bowl, add the cubes of bread and the olives and mix.
  3. Make the vinaigrette. Place everything in a glass jar and shake well to incorporate all the ingredients. Pour two-thirds of the vinaigrette over the vegetables and mix well, set the rest aside. Add the Feta cheese and mix again gently. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more dressing if necessary.
  4. Serve at room temperature or chilled as either a first course or a side dish.
Notes
Note: Red onions in the Mediterranean countries are smaller in size and milder in flavor than those readily available here in the U.S. There is a simple step that you can take to tame the pungent and sharp flavor of the onions: slice them thinly and then submerge them for 10 minutes in a bowl of cold water, stirring them a few times. Then, drain them and add them to your salad. The sulfur compounds of the onions dissipate in the water and their taste will become much mellower. For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lemon juice!
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/greek-panzanella-salad/