You know those impromptu summer get togethers? The ones where everyone claims the go-to sides within seconds of the group chat forming?
“I’ll bring pasta salad!”
“I’ll bring the beer!” (not a side, but equally important)
“I’ll bring the potato salad!”
“I’ll bring the cookies!”
And then you’re sitting there wondering how everyone was so well prepared? Well, my friend. Meet YOUR new go-to side that will guarantee you’ll be invited to every single picnic, bbq, and dinner party for the rest of forever.
Meet the Summer Cheese Board Panzanella Salad. It’s all the beauty of the salty, sweet, creamy cheese board options, tossed with crispy cubes of bread and lots of zesty lemon basil oil. It’s also sort of like the best caprese you’ve ever made.
Wait. You think that sounds amazing, right? It gets better.
It can be made in less than 5 minutes. The most time consuming part is toasting the bread. TOASTING. THE. BREAD.
Let’s get it together so you can grab your favorite bottle of rosé and hit the road.
For a salad that feeds 8 people (as a side dish) you will need:
1 loaf of day old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 medium ripe peaches, cut into wedges
6 or 7 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 balls of burrata cheese, or other preferred creamy cheese, ripped into large pieces
8 pieces prosciutto, cut in half
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
On a large serving platter, scatter the peach and tomato wedges.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and toast the bread cubes until lightly browned. Toss with salt and set aside.
Place the bread cubes, prosciutto, and burrata among the peaches and tomatoes.
In a blender, mix together the basil, 1/2 cup of olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and garlic powder. Taste and then season with salt and pepper.
Right before serving, drizzle the basil oil on top of the salad and wait for everyone to beg you to make it again.
This salad can be a perfect light dinner, lunch, or side and goes verrrryyyyy well with white and rosé wines.