Ina Garten’s Greek panzanella salad will transport you to Greece, no passport required

As the child of Greek immigrants, the classic Greek salad was always a staple of the family dinner table.

I’ve taken that dish with me no matter where I’ve lived in the world, often making it for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.

While there are some rules I’ll never break when it comes to the recipe — stop adding lettuce! —  I love trying new versions of the classic Greek dish. And when I stumbled on an Ina Garten recipe featuring homemade croutons, I knew I had to try it.

Turns out, it’s one of the best Barefoot Contessa summer recipes.

Garten’s Greek panzanella salad adds a fresh twist to the classic Italian dish.

To make Garten’s Greek panzanella salad at home, you’ll need:

• Good olive oil
• 6 cups of “rustic” or French bread, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded, halved lengthwise and sliced ½-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
• 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced into half-rounds
• ½ pound of good feta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
• ½ cup of kalamata olives, pitted

To make the vinaigrette, you’ll need:

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of good red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

One thing to note: I couldn’t find French or “rustic” bread at my local supermarket, so I opted for some thick-sliced white bread. The croutons still came out great!

Before assembling the salad, I needed to make the homemade croutons.

After dicing my bread into cubes, I added ¼ cup of olive oil to a large sauté pan and allowed it to heat up.

I knew the pan was ready by using a trick I learned from Martha Stewart. If you sprinkle a few drops of water on top and the oil begins to sizzle, it’s hot enough.

I added my bread cubes to the pan and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Garten recommends cooking the bread cubes over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, until they’re lightly browned. Don’t be afraid to add more olive oil if you need!

While the croutons were cooking, I began chopping my veggies.

I seeded and diced my bell peppers, sliced my cucumber and red onion, and halved my tomatoes.

After about 10 minutes, my croutons were ready.

My croutons had turned a lovely golden brown, and I knew they would look beautiful in the salad.

It was time to assemble the Greek panzanella salad!

I threw the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into a large bowl and tossed everything together.

Then, I whipped up the vinaigrette.

I added the red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, and Dijon mustard into a small bowl, sprinkling one teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper on top before I whisked everything together.

As I continued to whisk, I slowly added ½ cup of olive oil to make an emulsion. Just like that, my dressing was ready.

I poured my vinaigrette over the veggies, then added the feta, olives, and croutons. My salad looked beautiful.

I lightly tossed everything together and let the salad sit for 30 minutes so the flavors could develop. Then, it was time to dig in!

Garten’s Greek panzanella salad is a beautiful dance of fresh flavors and crisp textures. It’s crunchy, juicy, and so colorful, making it a perfect dish for summer. The homemade croutons were worth the extra effort, and I recommend adding smoked kalamata olives for an even bigger burst of flavor.

I’ve made this for two different potlucks with friends, and it’s always been a huge crowd-pleaser. I can’t wait to make it for my parents, who are huge fans of Garten’s Greek orzo salad.

As a Greek American who just got back from Greece, I can confidently say the Barefoot Contessa knows how to honor our cuisine.

Maybe my mother was right. Maybe Ina really was Greek in another life.

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