Summertime Strawberry Caprese Panzanella

Recipe developed for New West Knifeworks.

Fresh tomatoes, sourdough bread, and ripe strawberries; now that’s a salad we can get behind.

A classic Italian bread salad, we love the hearty nature of a colorful Panzanella. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a dinner party or backyard BBQ, utilizing the fresh summer produce we love so much for a fun, vibrant dish that’s always a crowd pleaser. This one’s a salad that can absolutely be the star of the show.

Our favorite Panzanella salad features a sweet strawberry twist, stirred into balsamic-drizzled tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, and of course, the star of the show: crunchy toasted sourdough bread.

Fresh strawberries and juicy tomatoes are two of our all-time favorite parts of summer, and any recipe that features them both (along with bread and cheese) is a win-win in our book.

We like to toast the bread for this recipe on the grill, but you can easily pop it in the toaster or bake it in the oven if you prefer. While standard salads don’t make the best leftovers, this one is excellent one, two, or three days later. Toasted chunks of bread soak up all the oil, vinegar, and tomato juice for a satisfying summer lunch for days to come.

Sourdough Strawberry Caprese Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced

1 cup strawberries, sliced

2 cups tomatoes, roughly chopped

8 oz. mini mozzarella balls, sliced in half

¼ cup white onion, thinly sliced

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

½ tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste

For the dressing:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. honey

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup shallot, diced

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to 400°F.

2. Add strawberries, tomatoes, mozzarella, and onion to a large bowl and stir until just combined.

3. Once your grill is hot, toast bread in batches, about 1 minute each side (or until you get nice grill marks).

4. Cut bread into cubes and add to the salad, along with basil, salt, and pepper.

5. Add all salad dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake until combined.

6. Dress the salad and stir, adding more salt to taste. Depending on how much bread you have, you may want to drizzle a few extra glugs of olive oil on top.