Make Greek Panzanella to use up your leftover French bread in this veggie filled summer salad.
I’m baaaaack! And I’m finally getting around to sharing this amazing Greek Panzanella with you. I actually never had a Panzanella until I made this and boy was I missing out?! All you do is take some leftover French bread, put some oil on it, bake it until golden, and then just mix it with veggies and dressing. The veggies are great but oh my! that bread that soaks up the dressing is the STAR! It seriously makes this salad irresistibly addicting. This is like a salad with lots of extra croutons and no lettuce… so basically it’s a childhood dream come true! You must serve this Greek Panzanella at your next BBQ!
So I just got back from a two week trip to Utah and Idaho where I got to see all of my family… except for my husband. Unfortunately, Nick had to stay behind to take boards and start an externship so it was just me and my girls that went. Luckily, my good friend flew out with her kids on the same flight so we could help each other. It was pretty fun and I’m not sure I could have done it alone, especially since our first flight was canceled. Curse you Denver weather!
Despite the delay in traveling, we had so much fun! Especially Carly who I barely saw because she was off playing with her cousins 24/7. Natalie on the other hand had quite the case of mommy-itis. It wasn’t until the last day of the trip that she didn’t cry when someone else was holding her with me in sight. I’ll tell you what though, it is awesome to have tweenager nieces because they still like babies and toddlers and will entertain your kids. Or maybe I just have the best nieces? I greatly appreciate their help… and it makes me wish I lived closer to family! 
Just chilling with family is good enough for me but we also got to swim, shop (definitely bought some dishes for the blog!), see beautiful rose gardens, eat yummy food, ride bikes, hike (carrying a 30 pound child for half of it), splash at the water park, ride ponies (almost) and pet goats, go to the movies… out trip was jam packed with fun! In return, I made all my in-laws a nice Sunday dinner of Cafe Rio Pork Salad. Oh and I got to take my girls to eat ice cream at BYU Creamery where Nick and I had our first date.
Despite the great time we had, the kids and I sure missed Nick and are so happy to be home sleeping in our own beds (and rooms!) and on a schedule again. Thank heaven for FaceTime so we can easily see our family one thousand miles away.
Greek Panzanella
Greek Panzanella
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the Salad:
- 1/2 loaf, about 4 cups French Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced and halved
- 5 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup calamata olives, pitted
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 3 ounces 1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar and set aside.
For the Salad:
- Spread bread cubes onto a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
- Mix cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and olives together along with the the dressing in a large bowl.
- Add the toasted bread cubes and feta. Toss gently until combined. Let it sit and marinate for 30 minutes and then serve at room temperature
Salad with bread is the best kind of salad, immediately follow in my rankings by salad with grains and pasta salad. What can I say, I love my carbs! This Greek panzanella looks so yum 🙂