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Writer's pictureThe Culinary Vegetable Institute

Tomato Recipe: Panzanella Salad

This is the season when living—including prepping delicious summer classics—should be easy, right?


To help, we’re providing a simple, flavorful recipe where the quality of ingredients is everything.




Tomato Recipe Ingredients:

  • 1lb of assorted heirloom tomatoes

  • 2 baby English cucumbers

  • 1 slightly under-ripe peach or other seasonal fruit

  • 1 envelope of micro herbs

  • Salt to taste

  • 2/3 lb of bread, fresh or stale

  • ⅓ cup olive oil

  • 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

  • 1 small shallot, minced

  • 2 lemons, zested and Juiced

  • 1tsp Dijon mustard

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 8 cracks of black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp salt plus more TT

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Tomato Recipe Directions

  • Start by making the croutons. Preheat the oven to 380°, then tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and toss with olive oil. Season the bread chunks lightly with salt then bake them for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown on the surface and crunchy throughout.

  • Make the dressing by combining three cloves of garlic (minced), shallot (minced), two lemons (zested and juiced), one tsp. Dijon mustard, one tbsp. honey, eight cracks of black pepper, and ½ tsp. salt. While whisking, slowly stream in ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil until all of it is incorporated and a stable emulsion is formed.

  • Wash and dry the produce then use a knife to further process it into smaller pieces.

  • If the tomatoes are small, they can be split in half. Larger ones can be cut into an increasingly greater number of wedges or slices. The same attitude is applied to the cucumbers and the peach. The end goal is to create a variety of shapes and sizes to add to the variation of experiences in this salad. So long as a piece can easily be picked up with a fork, it is fair game. This is a great time to experiment with your breadth of knife cuts and get creative.

  • Chop the envelope of micro herbs then add them to a large mixing bowl.

  • Being careful not to be too rough with the now-cut tomatoes, add all of the cut produce to the bowl as well. Follow with the croutons and about ⅓ of the dressing. Use your hands to gently toss the ingredients together and coat all of the components with the dressing.

  • Adjust the quantity of dressing and seasoning as desired.

  • For best results, allow the salad to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. This period of rest will allow the dressing to permeate the flesh of the tomatoes and croutons, making for a more interesting and flavorful eating experience.


More Tomato Recipes

“The very first tomato that I eat for the season, juicy and still warm from the sun, is my absolute favorite. That simply screams summer.” (Farmer Lee Jones)


There is something special about that first tomato, no doubt. At The Chef’s Garden, though, the outstanding flavor continues throughout the season. Here’s more information about them, including more recipes, in our Guide to Fresh Tomatoes.


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