Summer panzanella salad with pesto vinaigrette
Delight in the fresh flavors of summer with this vibrant panzanella salad drizzled with a zesty pesto vinaigrette. Perfect harmony of colors and tastes!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups sourdough bread cubes
- 4 teaspoons (3 cloves) minced garlic
- 2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
- 2 lemons
- 4 cups (1 large bunch) lacinato kale leaves
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 ripe nectarines
- 110g fresh mozzarella
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 200 °C. Slice the sourdough bread into small 1/2 inch squares (no need to remove the crust) and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt over the bread. Bake in the oven, flipping occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until they turn golden brown and crispy. Let them cool down after baking.
- While the bread is toasting, put the garlic cloves and 2 cups of basil leaves in a small food processor. Pulse until you get a thick paste. Transfer the pesto to a bowl or jar and mix it with 1/3 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice to make a thick dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Clean the kale leaves, and taking 4-5 leaves at a time, remove the tough center stem. Stack the leaves, roll them into a cylinder, and thinly slice crosswise to create 1/4-1/8 inch ribbons. Keep doing this until all the kale is cut. Toss the shredded kale with 2 tablespoons of the pesto dressing and the remaining 1/2 cup basil leaves.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients. Pit and slice the nectarines into thick wedges, cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters, and tear the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large shallow bowl, layer the dressed kale and basil with the nectarines, tomatoes, toasted bread cubes, and mozzarella. Drizzle the remaining pesto dressing on top and serve! This recipe is inspired by The First Mess's Summer Panzanella with Peaches and Kale.
Summary:
- Calories: 1087 kcal
- Fat: 36 g
- Protein: 56 g
- Carbs: 150 g
- Potassium: 2525 mg
- Magnesium: 242 mg