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5 from 4 votes

Spring Panzanella Salad

Delicious spring vegetable salad with toasted garlicky croutons, crispy chickpeas and feta cheese in an herby lemon vinaigrette.
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: spring panzanella salad, panzanella salad, panzanella, bread salad, spring salad, italian recipe
Servings: 4
Calories:

Ingredients

THE SALAD:

  • 3-4 mini cucumbers ends trimmed and diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas blanched
  • 1/2 pound asparagus ends trimmed and cut in 1 1/2" pieces
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halves
  • 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
  • 1 small loaf bakery bread french, sourdough, italian - cut or tear in 1" cubes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

CRISPY CHICKPEAS:

  • 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed and dried well
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon EACH garlic powder, cumin and paprika

SALAD DRESSING:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 small garlic clove grated
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped (or 1 T dill, 1 T mint leaves)

Instructions

BLANCH THE VEGETABLES:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add cold water and ice to a large bowl for the ice bath.
  • Trim the ends of the asparagus then cut into about 1 1/2″ pieces. Add to boiling water and cook 2-4 minutes or until bright green. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the ice bath (this stops the cooking process).
  • Add the peas to the same water. Blanch for 1 minute then drain and transfer to the ice water.
  • Drain both vegetables and transfer to a clean dish towel, drying well.

GARLICKY CROUTONS:

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut or tear bread into about 1″ cubes then transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer.
  • Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Season with 1/2 teaspoon EACH of salt and garlic powder then using your hands toss bread well to coat. 
  • Bake 10-15 minutes or until the bread is crisp and lightly browned then remove from the oven and cool completely.

SALAD DRESSING:

  • To a small bowl, add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, grated garlic, Dijon, salt, pepper, honey, olive oil and chopped herbs. Whisk well to combine. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper then set aside.

CRISPY CHICKPEAS:

  • Rinse and drain the chickpeas then dry well using paper towels.
  • To a large skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil then once hot, drop in the chickpeas and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and cumin.
  • Cook over medium to medium low heat 10-12 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned,

ASSEMBLING THE SALAD:

  • Add golden garlicky croutins, asparagus, peas and cucumbers to a large bowl.
  • Drizzle the dressing over the top, give it a good toss to coat then transfer to a serving platter.
    Add crumbled feta cheese, halved tomatoes and chickpeas to the top. Let the salad sit for 15 minutes for the flavors to come together then season lightly with salt and fresh cracked black pepper and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg