Panzanella (Tuscan Tomato & Bread Salad)

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🍞 250g sourdough bread
• 🏺 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 🍅 500g tomato
• 🍅 200g cherry tomatoes
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🥒 200g cucumber
• 🧅 1 small red onions
• 🧄 1 clove garlic
• 🍶 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 🧆 1 Tbsp capers
• 🌿 20g basil
• 🌿 0.5 Tsp black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Tear or cut the bread (ideally a day old) into 3 cm chunks. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a pinch of the salt and spread on a baking tray. Bake for 10–12 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp outside but still a little chewy in the middle. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, cut the large tomatoes into chunks and halve the cherry tomatoes. Put them in a large bowl with ½ tsp of the salt, toss and leave for 15 minutes – they will release lots of juice, which becomes part of the dressing.
3. Halve the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and slice into half-moons. Very thinly slice the red onion and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain.
4. Make the dressing: finely grate the garlic and whisk it with the vinegar, the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, the rest of the salt and the black pepper. Roughly chop the capers.
5. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and their juice. Add the cucumber, onion, capers and toasted bread and toss well.
6. Tear in the basil leaves and toss again.
7. Leave to stand for 10–15 minutes so the bread soaks up the juices but still has some bite, then serve at room temperature.