Panzanella with Grilled Peaches

Do you want to eat chunks of flavorful bread, and feel good that you ate salad? This summer-on-a-plate is a panzanella-inspired salad, always a super pick-me-up meal for me. I love adding caramelized juicy peaches here. They are at the height of their flavor now. The simple dressing provides a sharp contrast to the sweetness of the fruit for this deliciousness that’s full of flavor and texture. My favorite is that sweet spot when the bread is chewy with all the dressing soacked up but still crisp at the crust. Feel free to add as many or as little of the ingredients to suit your taste. This is how I make mine.

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients
1/2 loaf of any crusty bread, cut or roughly torn into 1" cubes (sourdough, ciabatta etc)
Olive oil for toasting the bread, as needed
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large Roma tomatoes, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, sliced
2 Tbsp capers
Large handful of basil leaves, chopped
2 large peaches (ripe but firm), sliced

Dressing
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste

Directions
1. Heat a couple of spoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet.

2. Add the bread to the skillet and toast them, flipping them often, until they turn golden and crispy on all sides. Remove and set them aside to cool.

3. In the same skillet, arrange the peaches and grill them until they are caramelized, about 2-3 minutes on medium. Turn off heat, transfer the peaches on to a plate

4. Place the tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, and capers, in a large platter.

5. Add the toasted bread and fresh basil.

6. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

7. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Let it rest for 10 minutes

8. Arrange the grilled peaches on top just before serving