Panzanella Salad is an Italian bread salad usually made with rustic bread and tomatoes. It is popular in the summer when tomatoes are ripe and juicy lending moisture to the crisp chunks of hearty bread. Since tomatoes are not in season yet, this salad boasts the wonders of spring with fresh spinach, peas and fennel.
This dish is super fresh and healthy as the vegetables are all eaten raw, even the peas! Thinly slicing the fennel on a mandolin is the best way to get nice even slices that will balance well with the rest of the ingredients, although you can also use a sharp knife. Tossed with a fresh lemon vinaigrette, this salad is bright and delicious!
One of the keys to differentiating a Panzanella Salad from a salad with croutons is to mix the ingredients including the croutons with the dressing and let it sit for a bit to allow the bread to soak up some of the moisture. It is important to use a hearty, crusty bread so that it doesn’t become soggy. You want it to grab some moisture, but still be firm.
Spinach Panzanella with Fresh Peas and Fennel
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups bite-sized cubes of crusty whole grain bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup thinly sliced fennel
- 1 cup fresh shelled peas
- 1/2 cup micro greens, optional
- 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon, juiced)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoons honey, or to taste
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, toss the cubed bread with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until crisp. Let cool.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the roughly chopped spinach, sliced fennel, fresh peas (yep, they’re raw!), micro greens (if using) and pumpkin seeds.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture with the croutons and toss to combine. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes so the croutons can absorb some of the moisture from the dressing. Garnish with some micro greens on top, if desired and serve.
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