Tuscan Panzanella Salad with Parma Ham

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Resting time: 45

Servings:

Calories: 418kcal

Author: Andrea Soranidis

Tuscan Panzanella salad makes a fantastic, easy-to-make meal or flavorful side. Make it all summer long, when tomatoes are at their best!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

300 g mixed tomatoes (heirloom, cherry tomatoes etc)
1 medium red onion
4 tablespoon Italian extra-virgin olive oil (ideally PDO)
250 g stale ciabatta or sourdough bread
½ cucumber finely cubed
10 basil leaves
2 tablespoon Italian white vinegar
sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
80 g Parma Ham thinly sliced

Instructions

Chop the larger tomatoes into chunks and the small cherry tomatoes in half.
Then place them in a large bowl and season well with sea salt. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the onion, place in a bowl and soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and transfer the slices into the bowl with the tomatoes.
Cut the stale bread into 2.5cm chunks, place them in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
Arrange the bread cubes on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Place the tray in a preheated oven to 180°C/360°F with the grill function on, and bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Check the bread frequently, to make sure it doesn't brown too much. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Add the cucumber and bread chunks into the bowl with the tomatoes and onion. Tear a few leaves of basil by hand and throw them into the salad.
Season with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, white vinegar and sea salt and black pepper to taste, and mix to combine all the ingredients.
Right before serving the panzanella salad, top with thin slices of Parma Ham.

Notes

Panzanella is best served after about 30 minutes of resting time. This allows the crunchy bread chunks to soften up a little and absorb all the yummy salad juices.

Make sure you add the slices of Parma Ham at the last minute, to preserve its unique texture and flavour at its best.

How to store:

Store leftovers in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Nutrition