Recipe of the Week from the Pembroke Farmers Market: Spring Panzanella Salad

For the 2025 season, we are officially launching a new blog series led by Pembroke Farmers Market president, Meghan Watts. Each week we'll showcase a recipe that utilizes locally sourced produce, baked goods, spices and more from the Pembroke Farmers Market vendors!

I’m a big fan of vegetables and an even bigger fan of bread, so I was beside myself with joy the first time I had a panzanella salad, which is a classic Italian dish made with chunks of bread that are allowed to soak in salad dressing to absorb some of the flavor and moisture. It is traditionally made with tomatoes, but I thought it would be fun to try a version made using local and in-season spring vegetables.

This salad is fresh and flavorful with a satisfying blend of textures between the chewiness of the bread, the crispness of the vegetables, and the crunch of the toasted almonds.

Also, this salad can be made with ingredients purchased from these and other vendors at the Pembroke Farmers Market: Bread will be available from Kneady Mama, Wright’s Family Coop, or Zserbo’s Bakery. Radishes, scallions, and salad mix will be available from Oakdale Farm.

Ingredients (makes one large salad):

For the salad: 

• About a half loaf of crusty white bread cut into 1-inch cubes (something that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I used baguette, but other breads will work fine.)

• Olive oil and salt to toss the bread in 

• Salad mix 

• Radishes, sliced into thin half-circles

• Grilled or sautéed asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Scallions, green parts only, sliced

• Toasted almond slivers (optional. You can also use another nut or seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin.) 

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4-1/2 cup red wine vinegar depending on how much acidity you prefer

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp. oregano 

• Salt and pepper to taste

  
  

Optional Toppings:

• Grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, goat cheese, and/or feta

Instructions to make this delicious salad as follows:

1. The drier the bread is to start with, the better, so this works particularly well with day-old bread. Whatever state your bread is in, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and toss the bread in enough olive oil and a bit of salt to coat evenly. Then toast for about 10 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Be careful not to overcook to the point that the bread gets hard throughout: it should still be soft in the middle. 

   
   

2. While the bread Is toasting, mix your dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper) in a small bowl and set aside.

   
   

3. Assemble your salad: add the salad mix to a large bowl and top with the radishes, asparagus, and scallions (reserve the almonds until just before eating so they won’t get soggy.)

   
   

4. Once the bread is done toasting and removed from the oven, pour the dressing over the salad, then add the bread on top, and toss everything to combine. 

   
   

5. Let the salad sit for about 30 minutes so the bread can absorb some of the dressing. You want the bread to absorb the flavor without becoming soggy, so check on the salad every 10 minutes or so until you are satisfied with the texture. 

   
   

6. Top with the almonds, toss again to combine, serve and enjoy!