Recipes › Shallot › Shallot and Herb Vinaigrette Panzanella
Shallot and Herb Vinaigrette Panzanella
Macerated shallots form the backbone of the dressing in this summer bread salad, their juices melding with red wine vinegar and good olive oil into something far more complex than a standard vinaigrette. The shallots soften and sweeten as they sit, weaving through ripe tomatoes and torn sourdough that absorbs every drop. This is a salad that gets better as it rests, making it ideal for summer lunches and garden tables.
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Ingredients
- 280 g shallots, very finely sliced into half-moons
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1½ tsp flaky sea salt
- 300 day-old sourdough bread, torn into rough 3cm chunksor ciabatta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 700 g ripe mixed tomatoes, cut into rough chunks, cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded, cut into 2cm chunks
- 25 g fresh basil, leaves picked, large ones torn
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 g capers, drained (optional)
Contains: cereals gluten, sulphites.
Method
- Combine the finely sliced shallots in a large mixing bowl with the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, 1 tsp of the salt and the black pepper. Stir well to coat. Leave to macerate for at least 15 minutes — this is crucial. The vinegar draws out the shallots' liquid, softens their bite, and builds the base of your dressing.About 15 min
- While the shallots macerate, toast the bread. Toss the torn sourdough chunks in 3 tbsp of olive oil and spread on a baking tray. Bake at 200°C fan for 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp on the outside but not completely dried through — you want the centres to still have a little give so they can absorb the dressing.About 10 min
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the bowl of macerated shallots along with the cucumber and the remaining 0.5 tsp salt. Toss gently and leave for 5 minutes — the tomatoes will release their juices into the dressing.About 5 min
- Add the warm toasted bread to the bowl along with the capers if using. Toss everything together well, pressing the bread gently into the tomato-shallot juices so it starts to absorb. Leave to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving so the bread softens slightly and the flavours meld. It should be somewhere between a salad and a savoury bread pudding.About 5 min
- Fold through the basil and parsley at the last moment to keep them fresh. Taste and adjust seasoning — it may want a touch more vinegar or salt. Serve at room temperature, not cold.
Tips
- The 15-minute macerating step for the shallots is the heart of this recipe. Don't skip or rush it — it transforms raw shallot from sharp and aggressive to sweet and mellow.
- Use the ripest, most flavourful tomatoes you can find. This salad is only as good as your tomatoes.
- If you want to get ahead, macerate the shallots and prepare the tomatoes and cucumber up to an hour in advance. Add the bread no more than 20 minutes before serving so it doesn't go completely soggy.
Ring the changes
- Add 150g of drained tinned white beans to make this more substantial and add protein.
- A handful of pitted black olives works brilliantly alongside the capers if you have them.
Keeping it
This salad is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day but the bread will become very soft. Bring back to room temperature before eating.
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