Panzanella Salad with Burrata and Basil Oil

I knew what my mom wanted me to make for Mother's Day dinner without even asking--panzanella. This fresh, crunchy and flavorful Tuscan bread salad is a favorite in our house and a guaranteed crowd pleaser! It makes my carb loving heart happy, and I hope it makes you happy too!

Serves 4 hungry people

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 large loaf of crusty bread (it's even better if it's stale)

3 small Persian (or 1.5 large English) cucumbers

1/3 to 1/2 of a red onion (depending on how much you like onion), thinly sliced

10 small-medium sized tomatoes, cut into 8ths

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest or lemon pepper

1/2teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ball of burrata cheese

For the Basil Oil:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup packed basil leaves

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or lemon juice

1 pinch salt

1/3 shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut or tear the bread into chunks about 1.5 inches in size. Then, in a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, lemon zest or pepper and garlic powder and toss the pieces of bread in it until each piece is coated. Spread the coated bread pieces in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until the bread is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: While the bread is toasting, prepare the basil oil by blanching the basil leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds then putting them in ice water to stop the cooking. Wring out the leaves to get extra water out, then blend them with the 1/3 cup of oil. Strain this mixture through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.

Step 3: Let the bread cool while you cut up your veggies and prepare your salad dressing. Then mix the veggies and the cooled bread pieces together in a large bowl and then toss in the dressing. Let this mixture sit for 2 minutes, so the bread can get a little saturated in tomato juice and dressing. Then place the burrata on top and drizzle with reserved basil oil! Enjoy!