Marinated Heirloom Tomato and Bread Salad with Olive, Orange and Za‘atar Dressing
Sun-kissed heirloom tomatoes are marinated first to enhance their flavor and then tossed with toasted bread cubes and greens to create a bread salad -- also known as panzanella. A dressing of olives, oranges and earthy za'atar brings a Middle Eastern touch that is unexpected yet complements the fresh tomatoes and crusty bits of bread.
Equipment
- baking sheet
- blender or food processor
- bowl
- zester
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon + ¼ cup extra- virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces crusty bread cut into 1” cubes
- 1-½ tablespoon sherry vinegar substitute champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1-½ - 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
- 1 medium shallot thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 3 to 4 handfuls of arugula
Olive, Orange & Za’atar Dressing
- ½ cup mixed pitted olives I used Kalamata and Castelvetrano
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon za’atar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Preheat broiler.
- Toss bread cubes with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil until lightly toasted and golden brown. Turn bread cubes over and repeat. Reserve.
- In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic and pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and shallots, tossing to combine. Allow to marinate for at least an hour -- or overnight covered in the refrigerator.
- Prepare dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine all seven ingredients, processing until smooth. Add more orange juice if the dressing needs thinning.
- Add toasted bread cubes, parsley oregano and arugula to tomatoes in dressing. Toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a serving dish/platter. Drizzle with reserved olive, orange and za’atar dressing, passing any remaining dressing separately.