Caper Bread Tomato Salad (Print View)
Country-style Italian salad with crunchy fried capers, sweet heirloom tomatoes, and golden focaccia chunks in a rich herbed butter mixture.
# What You'll Need:
→ Panzanella Mix
01 -
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
02 -
½ cup capers, rinsed and dried well
03 -
200g sliced sourdough focaccia, cut into 2-inch chunks about ½-inch thick
04 -
900g colorful heirloom tomatoes, chunked into 2-inch bits, ½-inch thick
→ Aromatic Sauce
05 -
3 tbsp plant-based butter
06 -
1 big shallot, thinly cut
07 -
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
08 -
1 tsp red chili flakes
09 -
1 tbsp fresh oregano, stripped from stems
10 -
1 tbsp fresh thyme, pulled from sprigs
11 -
1 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
12 -
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
# Directions:
01 -
Pour 3 tbsp olive oil into a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in capers and cook them 6-8 mins, mixing now and then until they get crunchy. Try one to make sure they're done, then scoop them out and save for topping.
02 -
Use that same oil-coated pan to cook the bread pieces until they turn golden, roughly 3 mins each side. Add extra oil if the pan looks dry. You want crispy outsides but slightly soft centers. Move the toasted chunks to a big salad container.
03 -
In a different small pan, heat up the butter over medium-high. Add your sliced shallots, chopped garlic, chili flakes, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté until the shallots soften and herbs get a bit crisp, about 2-3 mins. Take it off the heat and put aside.
04 -
Put your sliced tomatoes in with the bread and mix gently. Splash with about 1 tbsp of wine vinegar. Pour all that warm herb butter mixture over everything, making sure to scrape out every tasty bit. Stir again carefully to mix it all together.
05 -
Right before you eat, scatter those crunchy capers on top and add a touch more salt if you want. Eat it right away while everything's still warm.
# Notes:
01 -
This dish tastes best when you eat it right after making it, while the bread still has some crunch.
02 -
If you don't like spicy food, just use fewer chili flakes.
03 -
You'll love how the crunchy capers and toasty bread mix with juicy tomatoes for amazing texture.