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Plum Caprese Panzanella with Basil Vinaigrette

Juicy and sweet plums bring a bold new flavor to a classic caprese panzanella salad with a basil vinaigrette.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Basil Vinaigrette:

  • 1 Cup Tightly Packed Fresh Basil Leaves stems removed
  • 1/2 Shallot diced
  • 1 Garlic Clove chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Small Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For the Salad:

  • 2 Cups Cubed Ciabatta Bread
  • 12 Ounces Mini Heirloom Tomatoes sliced in half
  • 2 Ripe Plums pits removed and sliced into 8 wedges
  • 8 Ounces Fresh Mozzarella Bocconcini
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Drizzle of Light Olive Oil
  • Drizzle of balsamic Syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add cubes of bread to a small baking sheet. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
  2. While the oven preheats, make the vinaigrette. Add basil, shallot, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until very finely minced. Add in the vinegar, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and olive oil. Puree until smooth and combined, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the bread cubes to the oven. Turn the oven off. Let the bread just dry out for about 20 minutes. If you want to go the route of store-bought croutons to save time, that's ok. They will just be more crunchy than these homemade ones.
  4. Add the toasted bread cubes, tomatoes, plums and bocconcini to a large salad bowl/plate. Arrange as you see fit.
  5. Drizzle little dollops of the basil vinaigrette on top of the salad, about 3-4 teaspoons.
  6. Finish salad off with a big drizzle of light olive oil, balsamic syrup, and a good seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  7. Best eaten the day of at room temperature.