This artichoke panzanella recipe is just the thing you need to have on hand for hot summer days. It’s almost impossible to come up with comfort food ideas in this heat. Since comforting meals usually take a lot of simmering on low flame until your windows are all steamy! I just can’t have that in the middle of summer, so I wanted to share my quick take on this easy breezy artichoke Panzanella recipe.
This artichoke panzanella recipe is an ultimate peasant dish – just the way i like it ! Made usually with stale bread, fresh tomatoes and whatever else you can find around your garden and lightly dressed with a citrusy olive oil dressing.
I like to take a little extra time with this salad though, and start with nicely grilled ciabatta bread rubbed with garlic and brushed with olive oil. Sweet heirloom tomatoes, freshly cut basil and a few grilled artichoke hearts. Yes you can use the canned ones here, just make sure to drain and dry them well before grilling.
Feel free to throw in some olives and fresh mozzarella cheese if you like. Improvise ! I’ve seen this tomato bread salad made a hundred different ways, a panzanella recipe is meant to change with the seasons and the regions. So you can get as creative as you like with your own version, play around with seasonal produce available in your area.
Dress it lightly to taste with the best extra virgin olive oil you have hidden in your pantry or quickly make this favorite of mine: Lemon Thyme Dressing to pour all over. I like the lemon and the thyme here with the artichokes, they got magic going on !
There you have it kids, comfort food in the middle of summer, this artichoke panzanella recipe is to be kept near by until fall, until the last of summer’s tomatoes have disappeared.
P.S. If you have fresh artichokes available, lucky you, use those instead. Here is an easy guide on How To Cook Artichokes from Heidi of 101Cookbooks.
- 1 ciabatta bread sliced into 1 inch slices
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lb mixed heirloom tomatoes -sliced into wedges or halved
- 1 small bunch of basil leaves
- the zest from 1 lemon , organic
- 10 artichoke hearts -quartered & dried well
- This Lemon Thyme Dressing Recipe
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon -quartered
- fresh mozzarella cheese -optional
- sea salt to taste
- Heat up a cast iron grill pan and grill the artichoke hearts until nice grill marks form. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Grill the ciabatta bread until charred on both sides. Rub both sides of each slice of bread with the garlic and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- Add the grilled artichokes to the bowl with the bread, together with sliced tomatoes.
- Pour the Lemon Thyme Dressing over the top and gently toss to coat. Adjust seasonings to your taste with the sea salt and serve sprinkled with the basil on top, mozzarella bites and extra lemon wedges if desired. Finish with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the lemon zest.
- Let the panzanella sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
P.S. you might like this Panzanella from thepioneerwoman.com
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