Panzanella Salad with Honeysuckle Red Onion Salad Dressing

Pan is the Italian word for bread. Panzanella loosely translates to bread salad, but the real stars of this salad are the colorful, flavorful vegetables. This salad is the perfect accompaniment to a grilled steak. If you can’t find sweet red onion, use regular red onions–just use half as much as specified.

Makes 1 cup dressing

For the Dressing

1 cup diced Honeysuckle Red Onions (~ 1/2 onion)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons clover honey
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

  1. Combine onions, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, salt, and Italian seasoning in a small saucepan with a lid. Sauté onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Combine cooked onion mixture plus all other ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Note that you’ll only use half the dressing for the salad; store the leftover dressing covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Makes 8 cups of salad (4 servings)

For the Salad

4 cups Italian bread cubes, oven toasted
4 cups (~1 pound) ripe, red tomatoes, cut into large cubes
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cubed
½ Honeysuckle Red Onion, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced
½ cup Honeysuckle Red Salad Dressing

  1. Preheat oven to 400 ⁰F.
  2. Place bread cubs on a 13×18-inch baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes.
  3. Combine toasted bread cubs, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and dressing. Toss to combine.
  4. Allow the salad to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving so the bread and vegetables can absorb the dressing.

 

Nutrition Information per 2 cup portion

285 calories; 17 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 240 mg sodium; 450 mg potassium; 32 g carbohydrate; 3.5 g dietary fiber; 5 g protein