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Grilled Panzanella Salad with Focaccia and Lentils
and tomatoes / zucchini / bell peppers

Active: 45 min Total: 45 min
Panzanella is an Italian salad that is made with crisp toasted bread, fresh tomatoes, and other vegetables. It's a filling entree salad to serve when the weather is warm. Everything is tossed together right before serving so that the bread retains its crunch. If you want to fire up the grill for this meal, grilling all of the components will add even more flavor.
Tags
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Grilled Panzanella Salad with Lentils:
  • Cheese, fresh mozzarella - 5 oz , cubed
  • Tomatoes, medium - 1 , chopped (preferably heirloom)
  • Basil (opt) - 2 sprigs , leaves removed
  • Lentils, cooked - 2 cups (use pre-cooked lentils or if cooking from dried, use half the amount of dried and prepare according to package directions)
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette (ingredients listed separately) - 3 Tbsp
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
  • Vinegar, balsamic - 1 1/2 Tbsp
  • Mustard, Dijon - 2 tsp
  • Honey - 1 tsp
  • Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
Grilled Focaccia and Vegetables:
  • Zucchini - 1 lb , spears
  • Bell peppers, red - 2 , quartered, stems removed
  • Focaccia - 1 loaf , sliced into thick strips (sub any loaf of bread, sliced)
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette (ingredients listed separately) - 1 Tbsp
  • Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp

Prep

  1. Make vinaigrette - Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and honey. Add cooking oil while whisking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  2. Zucchini / Bell Peppers / Cheese - Prep as directed and store separately. (Note: If you are going to use the grill, make sure to keep the bell pepper quarters quite large so they don’t fall through the grill grates.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  3. Focaccia / Tomatoes / Basil - Prep as directed.

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Make

  1. If cooking on the grill: Heat grill to 425F / 218C degrees.
  2. Toss zucchini and peppers with vinaigrette (portion for vegetables). Season with some salt and pepper.
  3. Brush focaccia with olive oil.
  4. {grill}: Grill zucchini and bell peppers until lightly charred and tender, moving them to a cooler part of the grill if they start to blacken before they turn tender. In the last couple minutes of cooking, toast focaccia over grill until light golden brown and crisp on all sides.
  5. If cooking on the stovetop / oven: Turn on the oven’s broiler.
  6. {stovetop / oven}: Spread olive oil-brushed focaccia out on a sheet pan. Set aside.
  7. {stovetop / oven}: Heat a large oven-safe skillet or oven-safe grill pan over medium heat. Brush with some oil. Add zucchini and peppers cook on all sides until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
  8. {stovetop / oven}: When zucchini and peppers are almost cooked, transfer pan with focaccia to the oven and toast, turning halfway through cooking, until golden brown and crisp.
  9. Cube focaccia. Chop zucchini and bell peppers.
  10. Warm lentils in the microwave.
  11. To assemble salads, toss together, zucchini, bell peppers, lentils, tomatoes, cheese, basil, and vinaigrette (portion for salad). Just before serving, add bread cubes and toss to combine. (Do this at the last minute so the bread stays nice and crunchy.) Enjoy!

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