NY Apple Panzanella

Description
The apple bread salad or ‘panzanella’ is a texture-rich dish combining crunchy toasted bread cubes, crisp diced apples, and flavor boosting add-ins like fresh basil, red onions, and zippy vinaigrette. This recipe is perfect as a side dish for cookouts and picnics.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups pumpernickel bread, cubed
- 2 cups crusty French bread, cubed
- 2 medium New York apples, cored and cubed
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces shaved parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped basil leaves
- 1 cup baby spinach
Dressing
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon honey
- a pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the sliced onion in a bowl of water in the fridge to mellow its flavor. (You can also quick-pickle your onions by combining them with ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup hot water, and a pinch of salt and sugar. Just let them pickle in the fridge for at least an hour, up to three weeks.)
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Spread bread cubes evenly on a baking sheet and bake 7-10 minutes until just beginning to toast.
- To make the dressing, whisk vinegar, olive oil, apple cider, shallot, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Remove onions from the fridge – drain and pat dry.
- Toss bread, apple, onion, parmesan cheese, basil, and spinach in a large serving bowl.
- Toss again with dressing and serve immediately.