This post brought to you by Pompeian. All opinions are 100% mine.

Let’s talk caprese: Is there anything better than the combination of tomato+basil+mozzeralla+balsamic?

How about tomato+basil+mozeralla+balsamic tossed with buttery pieces of toasted bread?

Uh, yeah, I’d say that pretty much tops it.

Aren’t these tomatoes just gorgeous? They are “cocktail” size, so they are a bit bigger than a cherry tomato, but smaller than a regular beefsteak.

You’ll want to use really ripe tomatoes for this recipe, so when you toss together the salad the tomato juices will mingle with the dressing and add a bit of extra acidity. You can totally use cherry or grape tomatoes if you can’t find the cocktail size ones.

Putting together a delicious, well-balanced dressing for your salads is way easier than you would think. Once you start making your own at home, you’ll become a total addict.

I’ve been dreaming about this recipe since before we took our trip to Greece, so when we got back I knew I wanted to make it right away. Lucky for me, it’s actually National Salad Month and National Vinegar Month, so my friends over at Pompeian Balsamic Vinegar offered to help me celebrate!

I always have a bottle of this stuff in my pantry.

I love to add vinegar to recipes in place of additional salt or fat whenever possible. It adds so much flavor without a lot of extra calories.

This would be the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck or dinner party. This time of year, I feel like my social calender is filling up with non-stop engagement parties, bridal showers, graduation parties, and baby showers.

It’s so nice to have a go-to dish to bring along with you, especially one that takes less than 30 minutes!

Ready to dig in?

Here’s Your Recipe!

Caprese Panzanella (Bread Salad)

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

For the Croutons

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 loaf crusty bread, cut into bite-sized pieces

For the Vinaigrette

• 1/4 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

For the Salad

• 1 cup basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 2 pounds cocktail tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, in balls or cut into bite sized pieces

Instructions

For the Croutons

2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
3. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 c. of the butter and cook until it foams, turns clear, and is brown in color. Add half of the bread pieces and toss with the browned butter. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining butter and bread pieces.
4. Arrange the bread on the baking sheet in a single layer, then bake 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Let cool.

For the Vinaigrette

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry mustard, vinegar, olive oil, pepper, garlic, and dried oregano.

For the Salad

2. Combine the tomatoes and mozzarella in a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss to coat. Once the bread has cooled, fold the croutons into the salad mixture. Let sit 15 minutes so the croutons can absorb some of the dressing. Fold in the basil leaves immediately before serving. Enjoy!

 

I hope this Caprese Panzanella recipe inspires you to keep #DressingItUp ! For additional recipe ideas, you can visit the Pompeian website.

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