My second foray into using up the leftover grilled salmon was also a salad.
But it was a special salad.
It was a special salad because, in place of the lettuce, you use cubes of bread. A bread salad. Brought to you by an RD2Be. Every food fits, people!
I first had this salad in Italy, where it is called panzanella (not bread salad). It is a salad of leftovers – stale bread, veggies that might be on their last legs, a bit of meat or cheese. Since I had been to the farmer’s market and bought all the fixins’ (unintentionally) for panzanella, I decided that it was the perfect way to finally finish the last of the leftover grilled salmon.
Hooray for panzanella!
And it all starts with stale bread… which I didn’t have. What I did have was some great whole wheat sourdough from the farmer’s market.
I made it “stale” by popping it onto a medium-high grill for a few minutes per side.
But make sure to thoroughly coat each side with olive oil…
…before popping it onto the grill. Then it gets nice and golden brown and crispy.
When it comes off the grill, it looks beautiful.
And takes all your willpower to not eat it. Especially after you rub each side with a clove of garlic.
This allows the bread to have the wonderful garlicky taste without the unpleasant sensation of biting into a huge chunk of raw garlic. Then cube the bread and let it sit while you get the toppings for the salad.
Like these beautiful Juliet tomatoes (large grape tomatoes), thinly sliced red onion, and some arugula. Sweet, spicy, and pepper-y… the perfect accompaniment to the warm, crusty bread.
Toss in the bread cubes.
And add some of your favorite oil-and-vinegar-based dressing. I used the one that I talked about yesterday.
Mix the salad well, making sure the bread has a chance to soak up all the dressing.
I wanted to add a little freshness to the salad, so I added some sliced basil.
All that’s left is to plate it up.
Spoon some panzanella onto a plate and top with a piece of leftover salmon.
So colorful, delicious, nutritious, and a perfect way to use up leftovers.
I hope you all enjoy this Italian dish that is a blast from my culinary travels past! So, kiddos, what’s your favorite way to use up leftovers? I would love to hear your ideas!
Your bread salad lovin’, Italy missin’ friend,
C
Grilled Salmon Panzanella
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 slices of whole-wheat sourdough bread
1 clove of garlic
10 large grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), halved
½ a red onion, sliced thin
1½ cup arugula
2-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette dressing, bottled or homemade
2-6oz leftover grilled salmon fillets
Steps:
- Preheat your grill over medium-high heat.
- Using a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of olive oil over both sides of each bread slice. Place the bread on the grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from the grill and rub both sides of the bread slices with a garlic clove. Cut into large cubes and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, and arugula. Add in the bread cubes and half of the vinaigrette. Toss together and gauge the moisture level – if it looks too dry, add more dressing.
- Place some of the panzanella salad on a plate and top with one of the leftover grilled salmon fillets. Serve immediately!
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