Salmon Panzanella Salad

This speedy recipe for salmon panzanella salad pairs tender roasted seafood with fresh veggies and toasted bread for the perfect summer supper!

Click here to PIN this recipe for Salmon Panzanella Salad now – so you can make it later!

Panzanella salad is one of my very favorite summer suppers.  If you haven’t had this scrumptiousness before, traditional panzanella is a mixture of tomatoes, basil and cucumbers tossed with toasted bread cubes and dressed with olive oil and vinegar, which sinks into the bread cubes for a glorious tangy flavor.

I do love a good old classic panzanella with sweet local tomatoes and fresh basil, and me being me, I dollop a spoonful of homemade ricotta on top of mine.

Because it’s SUMMER, and we deserve all the fresh veggies and all the homemade ricotta!

But now and then I like to toss some seafood into my panzanella, which transforms it into a legit main course, and there is nothing easier when it comes to seafood cooking than a lovely salmon filet.

15 minutes in the oven, and it obediently turns into lovely roasted salmon that you can flake into tender chunks and drop into your salad.

And speaking of fresh veggies, I am loving the bounty of rainbow colored tomatoes of all sizes that I am meeting down here in North Carolina…

…As head chef of the North Carolina chapter of our family, I am throwing local cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes into pretty much every meal I cook up.  This is the cook’s prerogative, not that anyone is complaining.

Farmer’s market omelets, ravioli with cherry tomato sauce, lettuce leaf tacos – you name it and it’s probably got a cherry tomato hiding in it.

So I figured, why mess with success when it came to this panzanella salad?

Here’s how you make salmon panzanella salad!

Start by preheating oven to 425 and lining a rimmed baking sheet with foil so you are all set to roast your salmon.

Pop the salmon skin side down on the baking sheet, brush it with a little vinegar and olive oil and send it into the oven to roast for about 15 minutes.

Once it is done, set it aside while you toast up the bread cubes for about 5-10 minutes.  You want them golden but not too hard (for easy crunching).

This speedy recipe for salmon panzanella salad pairs tender roasted seafood with fresh veggies and toasted bread for the perfect summer supper! Click to Tweet Once your cubes are toasty, pop them in a large bowl with some of those glorious cherry tomatoes along with a good handful of basil and toss.

Back at the salmon, use two forks to gently pull the roasted salmon into bite sized pieces and add to the bowl and gently toss again.  Add a little more vinegar and oil and toss gently one more time.

NOW FOR THE TRICKY PART.  Let the salad sit for about 15 minutes so the flavors can combine.  This is agonizing but it will be worth the wait.

Look at that healthy deliciousness!  Panzanella, everyone, and stay cool out there!

Love,

Kate xo

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