Twisted Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 loaf day-old Italian Bread
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ears corn on the cob, shucked
- 1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 2 lbs fresh tomatoes (about 5-6 tomatoes); cut into wedges or cubed chunks
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced into ½ moons
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ large avocado
- ½ cup BelGioioso Blue Cheese, crumbled
- About 18 basil leaves, thinly sliced
For Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
To make candied bacon:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lay 5 strips of bacon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar over bacon strips. Bake for about 22 minutes, until bacon is slightly crispy. Remove from oven and drain on a paper towel-lined plate until cool. Strips will harden as they cool. When cool break slices into small pieces to garnish salad.
Reduce oven temperature to 300° F.
Cut loaf of bread into 1-inch cubes. Toss cubes with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt to coat. Spread in single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until just turning brown on edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
To roasted/grill corn:
Brush corn with olive oil or butter and grill until charred on all sides over open flame or in a cast iron pan. When cool, cut kernels off cob in chunks.
To make dressing:
Add all ingredients to a cruet or small container with a tight seal, shake or stir vigorously until dressing emulsifies. Set aside.
To assemble salad:
Combine tomatoes, cucumber, corn, onion, avocado and bread in a large bowl. Add dressing and lightly toss salad. Sprinkle basil, blue cheese crumbles and candied bacon over top of salad. Cover and let salad sit for about 30 minutes so that bread can absorb the juices and dressing.