Panzanella

By tschnet1

Ingredients

• 3 cups Italian bread cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (3 medium)
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin wedges and separated
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups torn or chopped romaine lettuce

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place bread cubes in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; toss gently to coat. Bake about 6 minutes or until toasted, stirring once or twice. Cool.

In a large bowl combine bread cubes, tomatoes, onion, and basil. Set aside.

For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake well. Pour dressing over bread mixture; toss gently to coat.

Let stand for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve bread mixture over lettuce.