Summer Panzanella with Lemon Basil Dressing

5 from 1 vote

Summer Panzanella with Lemon Basil Dressing

A perfect summertime panzanella salad filled with fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, and warm, crispy bites of fried bread. Topped with a Lemon Basil Dressing, this is sure to become one of your favorites.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 761kcal

Author: Amanda Smallwood

Ingredients

Lemon Basil Dressing

1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
⅔ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from about 1 ½ lemons
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon Papa Joe's Salt or mixture of salt and pepper

Fried Bread

3 cups day old bread, cubed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch Papa Joe's Salt

Salad

1 pound cherry tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes diced
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into bite sized pieces
2 ears corn on the cob, peeled, rinsed, and removed from the cob
4-5 ounces arugula

Garnishes

1 tablespoon Balsamic Glaze
fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Lemon Basil Dressing

In your blender or food processor, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Blend, on the highest speed, until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Fried Bread

In a large frying pan, warm butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add bread cubes, sprinkle with Papa Joe's Salt, and fry. Turning frequently, until golden brown on most sides. Turn off the heat and set aside until you are ready to serve the salad.

Salad

While the bread is frying, slice tomatoes, mozzarella, and cut the corn from the cob. Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl with the arugula.
When you are ready to serve the salad, add the fried bread to the salad, toss with your Lemon Basil Dressing.
Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and additional tiny basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

This salad best served when the bread is still warm and has not gotten too soft from the dressing. If you aren't sure you will eat the entire salad at once, definitely make it up an then dress individual plates of salad so that you can store leftovers if needed.

Nutrition