Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken
This recipe calls for a mix of rye and multigrain breads, but feel free to use up whatever crusty loaf you have on hand.
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
- 2 large lemons juiced
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad
- 3 cups cubed crusty multigrain or sourdough bread
- 3 cups cubed rye bread
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 anchovies mashed to a paste
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives roughly chopped
- ½ cup pitted oil-cured olives roughly chopped
- ½ cup capers
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes chopped
- 4 seedless cucumbers chopped
- 5 cups lightly packed arugula baby or regular, torn if large
- 1 cup lightly packed torn basil leaves
- ½ small red onion very thinly sliced
- Kosher salt to taste
- 4 ounces ricotta salata cheese crumbled
Instructions
- For the Grilled Chicken: Combine chicken, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl and marinate for 30
- minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate as long as overnight.
- Heat an oiled grill or grill pan to medium-high. Drain any excess liquid from chicken and
- discard garlic. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Grill chicken until cooked through and lightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes per side.
- Cut chicken into 1-inch-thick slices. Keep warm.
- Prepare the salad: Heat oven to 350ºF. Toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons oil and spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet (use two sheets if necessary).
- Bake, tossing halfway through, until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons
- oil. Stir in olives and capers. Season with pepper.
- Combine toasted bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, basil, and onion in a large serving bowl. Toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with ricotta salata and top with sliced chicken.
Molly Shuster
Molly is a freelance food stylist, writer and recipe developer. She is one of the co-recipe editors of Gather Journal and has had her work published in various publications including Boston Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The New York Times, Food and Wine, Family Fun, The Boston Globe and Edible Vineyard, among others. Molly currently divides her time between New York and Boston.
