Garlic Bread Panzanella Salad

Garlic Bread Panzanella Salad

Honestly, this one came about because we couldn't stop thinking about garlic bread and panzanella at the same time, and we're so glad we went there. You get those crispy, buttery, garlicky bread chunks soaking up all the roasted tomato juices, with the sweetness from the peppers and the little pops of salty olive throughout. It's the kind of salad that actually feels like a proper meal, which we love. The butter beans make it really satisfying and the whole thing comes together in around 30 minutes. Make this tonight, seriously, you won't regret it.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large roasting tray
  • Small bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 red pepper
  • 250g mixed cherry tomatoes
  • 1 400g tin of butter beans
  • 60g pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1 loaf stale bread - we recommend plant-based garlic bread
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic purée
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 shallot
  • 10g basil
  • 30g rocket
  • good quality plant-based burrata
  • Drizzle of good quality olive oil
  • pepper to taste

Method

1

Build the traybake

  • Cut the red pepper in half, de-seed, and chop into strips
  • Drain and rinse the butter beans
  • Cut the medium tomatoes into wedges
  • Add the red pepper strips, drained butter beans, mixed baby tomatoes, tomato wedges and kalamata olives to the large roasting tray
  • Drizzle over 3 tbsp olive oil and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper
  • Put the tray in the oven for an initial 20 minutes
2

Meanwhile, make the dressing

  • Add the red wine vinegar to the small bowl with 3 tbsp olive oil, the garlic purée and a generous pinch of salt and pepper
3

Prepare the salad ingredients

  • Peel and slice the shallot finely
  • Pick the smaller leaves from the basil and chop the remaining finely
  • If using, drain the plant-based burrata
  • Tear the plant-based garlic bread baguette into rough bite-sized pieces
4

Back to the traybake

  • After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and give everything a good shake
  • Add the torn garlic bread over the top and return the tray to the oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and crisp
5

Serve

  • Once done, remove the tray from the oven and add the sliced shallot, rocket and dressing to the roasting tray
  • Gently mix everything together
  • If using, top with the plant-based burrata
  • Sprinkle with the small basil leaves and chopped basil
  • Drizzle with some olive oil and season with a crack of black pepper

Tips & Variations

  • Get the bread right: Use a slightly stale ciabatta or sourdough if you can, it holds up so much better in the roasting tray and goes beautifully golden without falling apart.
  • Boost the flavour: We love adding a splash of red wine vinegar right at the end, just a teaspoon or two, it really lifts the whole dish and cuts through the richness of the garlic butter.
  • Make it more filling: This works brilliantly as a main if you double up the butter beans or toss in some grilled courgette alongside the peppers and tomatoes.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting the bread into the tray at just the right moment so it soaks up those gorgeous roasting juices without going completely soggy. You want it a bit crunchy on the outside and pillowy in the middle, that contrast is everything. The garlic butter on the bread is what takes this from a nice salad to something you'll be thinking about for days.