Don't Toss That Stale Loaf Of Bread, Make Panzanella Salad Instead

Discovering that your loaf of bread has gone stale can be a serious bummer. Even the best laid meal plans can fall through, so the next time you find yourself with bread that's seen fresher days, don't panic. Although your initial reaction might be to toss it, there are plenty of ways to avoid having to throw it away. French toast is a great go-to option, but if you want something on the savory spectrum, try making panzanella salad instead.

Panzanella salad is a tasty Italian dish that's traditionally made with dried bread, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, basil, and a simple vinaigrette. The bread serves as more than just a crouton, as it's one of the core components of the dish. Since it absorbs moisture from the tomatoes and the dressing, using bread that's a little dry and stale is actually ideal as it helps prevent the dish from being too soggy.

Panzanella salad originally hails from Tuscany and dates back at least to the 16th century. At the time, the dish was made with onions but no tomatoes, since the latter wasn't yet available in Italy. The name is a combination of the Italian words for bread (pane) and a soup bowl (zanella).

Like many traditional dishes, panzanella salad was created by peasants as a way to prevent food waste. Traditional Tuscan bread is made without salt, which causes it to go stale faster, and panzanella salad was (and still is!) the perfect way to turn bread that would otherwise be too tough and chewy into something delicious. Today, it's best made in the summer when fresh tomatoes are at their peak. The dish is popular across different regions in Italy, and although the basics of panzanella are the same, each region has its own spin, such as adding herbs or vegetables.

It's easy to make panzanella salad, and you can adjust the recipe based on your preferences and the ingredients you have on hand. Bread is the star of the show in this salad, so it's important to make sure your bread doesn't contain too much moisture. For this reason, using a loaf that's a few days old is perfect, but to speed up the process you can tear it into cubes and let it dry overnight, uncovered. If a panzanella salad craving you can't resist strikes when your bread is still fresh, just pop a cubed loaf in the oven to help dry it out. Crusty, dense Italian bread works best.

Making panzanella salad can be a lesson in patience since you should let the salad sit for about an hour before enjoying it. This allows the bread to soak up the moisture from the tomatoes and dressing. The dressing is simply made from olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt, so be sure to use good quality extra virgin olive oil if possible. If you want to turn this dish into a full meal, serve it with a protein like chicken or try making panzanella salad with grilled shrimp.