This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
One of the great joys of life is knowing that you can make a salad with bread. Panzanella is a typical Italian dish that uses day-old bread, which is transformed into tasty croutons. In this version created by Loonie, marinated lentils are also added, the marinade of which becomes the dressing!
For a family-sized salad
Ingredients
Marinated lentils
45 ml (3 tbsp.) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard
15 ml (1 tbsp) white wine vinegar
5 ml (1 tsp) dried Italian herb blend
1 small French shallot, finely chopped
500 ml (2 cups) cooked black beluga lentils or 1 can (540 ml) green lentils, well rinsed and drained
Croutons
4 slices of bread, of your choice, diced
30 ml (2 tbsp.) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) nutritional yeast flakes
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 pinch of salt
Salad
100 g (4 cups) arugula
2 cucumbers, sliced diagonally
2 yellow tomatoes, quartered
1 bunch of basil, leaves removed
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Marinated lentils
1. In a bowl, add the oil, mustard, vinegar, dried herb mixture and shallot. Mix well.
2. Add the lentils and toss to coat. Season with salt. Let the lentils marinate in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Croutons
1. Preheat oven to 190°F (375°C).
2. In a bowl, put the diced bread. Add the oil, nutritional yeast, garlic and salt, and mix well.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the croutons halfway through cooking, until they are golden brown.
Salad
1. In a large bowl, place the marinated lentils.
2. Add the arugula, cucumbers, tomatoes and basil and mix well.
3. Add the croutons and mix.
4. Drizzle the salad with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Good to know
The croutons require 15 minutes to cook and can be made in advance. They will keep separately for up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.