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Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Red Onions

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Red Onions

Ingredients

1 pound Italian peasant bread, day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice½ red onion, sliced paper-thin2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, or mint leaves2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Before You Begin

Despite its most humble origins, this salad is delicious. The bread must be coarse peasant bread or any sturdy Italian-style bread. Other breads will not hold up to being dressed with oil and vinegar and combined with tomatoes, which are full of water. Also, don't use sweetened breads. If the tomatoes are ripe and the olive oil is particularly flavorful, you can omit the vinegar, moistening the bread with a tablespoon or two of water instead.

Instructions

  1. Place bread cubes in shallow bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, and half of herbs in medium bowl. Let stand for flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, then add to bread, along with remaining herbs, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper or to taste. If bread still seems dry, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons water to rehydrate it a bit. Serve. (If sturdy bread is used, salad can be covered and set aside up to 2 hours.)
Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Red Onions

Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Red Onions

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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound Italian peasant bread, day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice
½ red onion, sliced paper-thin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, or mint leaves
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients

1 pound Italian peasant bread, day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice
½ red onion, sliced paper-thin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, or mint leaves
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients

1 pound Italian peasant bread, day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice
½ red onion, sliced paper-thin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, or mint leaves
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

For our bread salad recipes, we recycled good-quality day-old bread to create Mediterranean-style dishes. We found that sourdough or a sturdy peasant bread was needed for a good bread salad recipe. Airy, unsubstantial bread became soggy very quickly.

Before You Begin

Despite its most humble origins, this salad is delicious. The bread must be coarse peasant bread or any sturdy Italian-style bread. Other breads will not hold up to being dressed with oil and vinegar and combined with tomatoes, which are full of water. Also, don't use sweetened breads. If the tomatoes are ripe and the olive oil is particularly flavorful, you can omit the vinegar, moistening the bread with a tablespoon or two of water instead.

Instructions

  1. Place bread cubes in shallow bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, and half of herbs in medium bowl. Let stand for flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, then add to bread, along with remaining herbs, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper or to taste. If bread still seems dry, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons water to rehydrate it a bit. Serve. (If sturdy bread is used, salad can be covered and set aside up to 2 hours.)

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Appears In

Magazine

September / October 1995

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