Winter Panzanella

At the holidays, our families both have an impressive array and quantity of food. However, we love the leftovers. We turn Thanksgiving into pot pies, Christmas Eve into lobster (and crab, and shrimp) rolls and Christmas Day has a lot more flexibility. You can make a French dip with a leftover prime rib roast, eat dessert for breakfast or switch it up and make an Asian Panzanella with any remaining bread and veggies. Panzanella is a Tuscan bread salad that you typically see in the summer with lots of juicy tomatoes. Since this is definitely not the time of year to gather incredible tomatoes, we have taken a different route and used roasted vegetables some tofu and a Miso Soy Vinaigrette. The ingredient twist will keep it distinct from the blur of cozy, holiday cooking.  

This recipe totally adapts to whatever you have on hand, but I’m usually coming out of a seafood, pasta and meat-induced coma on December 26th so an Asian-y vegetarian option is welcomed. Diana is a carb-lover, but keeps (mostly) gluten-free so we made this with a GF bread option — please use your favorite! Be mindful of coordinating whatever flavors you will be dressing the salad with. Since we are using an Asian-inspired vinaigrette, we picked up some en choy at the farmers market which is a gorgeous purple and green leaf that tastes similar to spinach. We also love tatsoi and mizuna. If your grocery options are a bit less diverse, baby kale always seems to win!

Merry Everything!

xx

ab + DZ

Winter Panzanella
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Ingredients
  1. 6 cups bread cut in 1-inch cubes -- about ¾ of a pound
  2. ¼ cup neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or canola, divided
  3. Kosher salt, to taste
  4. 1 package extra-firm tofu -- usually around 14 ounces
  5. 2 to 3 cups cooked vegetables -- we used a mix of cauliflower and butternut squash cut in bite-sized pieces
  6. 1 cup loosely packed greens -- we like the light leaves of en choy, shiso or baby greens.
  7. 1 shallot, sliced thin
  8. 1 garlic clove, minced or grated on a Microplane
  9. 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  10. 1 tablespoon honey
  11. 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  12. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  13. ½ cup neutral oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.
  2. Spread cubes of bread evenly on a baking sheet. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until bread cubes are dry and slightly browned. Set aside to cool completely.
  3. In a nonstick pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Cut tofu into approximately ½ inch sized pieces. Pat tofu dry and sear on at least two sides. Set aside to cool and season with salt.
  4. Whisk together shallot, garlic, miso paste, honey, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle oil while continuing to whisk to incorporate.
  5. In a large bowl, toss together bread, tofu, vegetables and greens. Toss with vinaigrette. Allow this to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the vinaigrette. Toss again just before serving.
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