Panzanella Salad

4.84 from 12 votes

This Spring Panzanella Salad is loaded with spring's best snap peas, asparagus, and cucumbers. Then that all gets mixed with garlicky croutons, salty chunks of feta, crispy shallots, and a lemon vinaigrette for good measure.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish, Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 English cucumber halved and sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 bunch asparagus trimmed and sliced on a diagonal into 2-inch pieces
¼ cup dill
¼ cup chives
¼ cup basil
¼ cup mint
4-6 ounces feta crumbled into large chunks
Maldon Sea Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Torn Croutons

½ loaf focaccia bread
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder

For the Lemon Vinaigrette

1 small shallot roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Crispy Shallots

1 small shallot finely sliced
olive oil

Instructions

For the Blanched Veggies

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it aside. Add the trimmed snap peas and asparagus to the boiling water and cook until they turn bright green but remain crisp tender, about 2-4 minutes. Then drain the water and place the vegetables into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

For the Croutons

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Tear the bread into bite sized pieces. Transfer to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and garlic powder. Place the baking sheet into the oven and toast until the bread is crisp. Remove and use on the salad as needed.

For the Crispy Shallots

Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels.
Combine shallots and oil in a medium saucepan. Turn heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until shallots begin to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring constantly as the shallots fry to ensure even cooking, until shallots turn pale golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Carefully remove the shallots with a strainer and transfer to the paper towel lined plate. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO START THE OIL FROM COLD

For the Vinaigrette

Combine everything in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

To Assemble

On a large platter, arrange the cucumbers, peas, asparagus and herbs with the torn croutons and chunks of feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with more herbs and the crispy shallots and serve.

Notes

When making the crispy shallots it is SO IMPORTANT to start the oil from COLD.

I used focaccia bread for the croutons, but you could use any french bread, sourdough, ciabatta, or anything else along those lines.

Nutrition