Sharing a fresh + delicious recipe to kick off summertime – panzanella salad with halloumi!
Happy Wednesday!! I don’t know about you but I’m SO happy that summer weather has arrived in DC. I’ll gladly take humidity over constant rain!
Probably my #1 reason for summertime seasonally induced happiness – the menus. Everything grilled, all the fresh veggies and herbs, it really doesn’t get better than that. I know most people think of warm meals as comfort foods (soup, mac ‘n cheese, you get the idea) but my favorite summer meal is just freshly sliced tomatoes with a little bit of salt + pepper on toast with a slight schmear of mayo. The. Best. I’ve considered making room on my apartment kitchen counter for a toaster expressly for this reason. Maybe this’ll be the year!
During quarantine, I’ve been trying to limit my grocery trips + find ways to make my grocery + pantry items stretch. Panzanella salad is a delicious way to use up your produce + give stale bread a new life! All you need to do is a little chopping + have the patience to let the dish sit for the flavors to jibe.
I added halloumi to this dish because a) it was hanging out in my fridge and b) halloumi is delicious + I wanted to eat it! Halloumi is a miracle cheese that you can grill without melting. Seriously! All I do is heat up a liiiittttllleee bit of EVOO in a skillet + sauté sliced bite-size pieces of halloumi until it’s golden brown, crispy + delicious. They’re perfect in summer salads or let’s be real, on their own!
Panzanella salad is super easy to make – it’s really just prep work. Chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion (I used a shallot). You can add bell peppers or even drained chickpeas for extra protein! Mix them up in a bowl with basil (Fresh is preferred but dried basil works).
Next up is the bread. You’re going to want to use a baguette or bread with a thick crust. Heat up EVOO in a skillet and add sliced bite-size pieces to the skillet, cook until toasted on both sides. Add toasted bread bites to the veggie + halloumi mixture.
Time for the red wine vinaigrette! It’s super easy just like everything about this panzanella salad recipe.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup EVOO
1 tsp Dijon
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Splash of lemon juice
Add the red wine vinaigrette to the veggie, bread + halloumi mixture, let chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Enjoy with chilled rosé or white wine, preferably outside in the summer sun!
