This gorgeous salad combines the best of summer’s bounty (Fresh peaches! Greens! Basil!) with drool-worthy, crusty bread toasted on a hot grill. With the juicy tomatoes and entire ball of mozzarella, it’s basically pizza in salad form. What’s not to love?
GRILLED PEACH PANZANELLA SALAD
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE DRESSING
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced (or grated)
A generous pinch of salt and pepper
FOR THE BREAD
6 thick slices of crusty bread
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
FOR THE SALAD
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 large peaches
4 big handfuls of arugula
¼ to ½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish
1 ball fresh mozzarella
INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Assemble your ingredients and preheat your grill to medium. Easy peasy, right?
STEP 2: Prepare the dressing; in a jar or glass or whatever vessel your heart desires, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Set it aside.
STEP 3: Slice the bread (if it’s not sliced already, obviously), and then brush both sides of each slice with olive oil.
STEP 4: Time to prep the peaches! This is also the time to pray you have freestone peaches and not those annoying clingstone peaches. If you have freestone peaches, halve the fruits lengthwise along the crease, and turn each half in the opposite direction to separate. Remove the stone and cut each half into four segments. If you have clingstone peaches, accept the fact that this process will be a pain in the ass and your slices will be hideous.
STEP 5: Thinly slice the onion. If you’re a big onion fan, use the full half of the onion. If you’re like, “onions are cool, but I don’t think it’s love” then only slice a quarter of it.
STEP 6: Halve the tomatoes and roughly chop the basil.
STEP 7: In a large bowl, combine the arugula, onion, tomatoes, and basil. Mix it up really good with your hands and set aside.
STEP 8: When the barbecue is preheated, give it a good clean, and then grease the grate with an oiled paper towel.
STEP 9: Place the peach slices on the grill and let them cook, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes, or until they’ve got some nice marks from the grate, then flip them over.
STEP 10: While the peaches are cooking, place the sliced bread on the grill. Keep an eye on them (they’ll cook quickly!) and turn them over when they start to brown. When the peaches and bread are done, remove them from the grill.
STEP 11: Give the dressing a quick whisk and pour half of it over the prepared salad; toss to combine.
STEP 12: Cut each slice of bread into 4-6 chunks and add it to the salad. Also add the peaches (ohhh they’re so warm and juicy…).
STEP 13: It’s mozzarella time, baby! Use your fingers tear the mozza ball into strips and chunks; add all of this cheesy goodness to the salad.
STEP 14: Time to mix it all up! If you want, add more of the dressing, or just serve it as is. Serve immediately, as it’s best when the peaches are still warm and the bread, still a little crispy.
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