Tuscan Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Vegetables & Fresh Mozzarella

Here is a dish that encompasses our love of bread, the goodness of vegetables and the great taste of tomatoes . A blog on eating bread? from a nutritionist?  Well in this Italian salad called Panzanella, I do!

Panzanella was a 14th century salad utilizing stale bread and tomatoes. You had to be thrifty in Medieval times. But now with the grill and the oven, I like my bread toasted with a little olive oil. Here is a way to have your starch but not raise those blood sugars.

I used toasted croutons, or cubed ciabatta or French bread. Then add chopped cucumber, add roasted zucchini and red peppers. I like roasting my veggies. Make a great vinaigrette (below). Add fresh mozzarella, before serving and this reminds me of summer!

Have your bread as a small serving of carbohydrate equaling a 1/2 slice of bread or about 7 grams of carbs,  50 calories along with non starchy vegetables like red peppers, zucchini and cucumbers.  This is a great salad for a low carbohydrate meal with some protein.  Soy cheese can be substituted. Also good for diabetics too. The fresh mozzarella added in the end with a vinaigrette of  marinated caper, red onion, heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and you have a salad that rocks!

Let’s get started:

Salad Ingredients

1 1/2  cup of cubed toasted bread

1 /2 cup of chopped cucumber

1 small zucchini chopped

1/2 sliced red pepper

1 /2 small sliced red onion

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 heirloom tomatoes chopped or 1/2  cup cherry tomatoes

4  slices of fresh mozzarella chopped into cubes

vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons of  olive oil

pinch of salt

2 -3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

5  fresh basil leaves rolled and chopped

1 tablespoon of capers

1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

pinch of salt and black pepper

Preheat oven @ 375 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over  the red peppers and zucchini and bake in a roasting pan or cookie sheet for 20 minutes.  Set aside. Bake up the bread cubes with a little drizzle olive oil until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside. Proceed to make the vinaigrette and add the tomatoes and cucumbers to the marinade with the red onion. Let sit to absorb the flavors.

Slice the mozzarella, add to the cooled vegetables and bread mixture and add the vinaigrette.