An amazingly delicious mash-up of Italian and French cuisine, this bright salad is beautiful for an appetizer, main or side.
Directions for: Ratatouille Panzanella Salad with Herb-Parmesan Dressing
Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
cup olive oil
1 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 medium red onion, unpeeled, thickly sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise
Canola oil, for brushing
loaf ciabatta, split in half horizontally
12 cherry tomatoes, cored
2 oz baby arugula or spinach
cup coarsely shredded Parmesan
Directions
1. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high.
2. Put the basil, parsley, red wine vinegar, garlic and some salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
3. Brush the eggplant, onion, pepper, squash and zucchini with canola oil on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Brush the cut side of the ciabatta with canola and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the zucchini, squash and eggplant on the grill, flesh-side down. Place the onion slices and the pepper on grill. Cover and cook until the cut vegetables are charred, about 4 minutes; then flip and cook, covered, until they are tender, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cut vegetables to a cutting board. Cover the grill and continue cooking the pepper, turning occasionally, until it is charred all over and tender, about 10 minutes more. Remove the pepper to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes.
5. Put the tomatoes in a grill basket and grill, covered, shaking the basket occasionally, until charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Grill the ciabatta, cut-side down, until golden and toasty, about 3 minutes. Flip and grill 1 minute more. Transfer to the cutting board with the vegetables.
6. Seed and chop the bell pepper; remove the peels and coarsely chop the red onions; cut the zucchini, squash, eggplant and bread into 2-inch cubes. Combine the vegetables and bread in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss with some of the dressing. Mound the salad on a serving platter, top with some of the arugula, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Scatter the Parmesan over the top, and serve immediately.
See more: Salad, Bread, Vegetables, Appetizer, French, Herbs, Italian, Main, Side, Tomatoes