Spruce up your panzanella salad on the grill with halloumi cheese, prosciutto, and peaches.
Have you had panzanella before? A panzanella is simply a type of bread salad.
But, THIS panzanella I made for you guys is SO.Much.More.
The base of this salad is still carb-tastically, crispy, crunchy, grilled bread which gets torn (or cut if your fancy) into cubes, but I also added all the summer YUM.
Fruity, sweet, juicy peaches; plump, ripe, robust heirloom tomatoes; fresh, fragrant basil and mint; firm, splendidly squeaky, warm halloumi and meaty, salty prosciutto.
While most panzanellas simply use oil and vinegar to finish off the salad, I felt inclined to jazz it up and make a super quick, super simple basil balsamic vinaigrette. The dressing adds a smooth, tart richness and a hint of basil herbaceousness.
Basically this panzanella is the summer jam.
The warm, grilled and cool, refreshing components of this salad together are outrageously delicious. Basically, you should make this salad. Preferably today. And eat it on repeat for all the remaining days of summer. Your pie hole will thank you.
The Notes:
1. You want to use a crusty, artisan bread, such as a boule or ciabatta. You need a bread with a bit of substance so it holds up and doesn’t get soggy. And, panzanella is even better if you use day old bread.
2. You can grill the peach wedges if that makes your skirt fly up. Simply brush the wedges with a bit of oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place them on the grill, cut side down, and cook until just charred but still firm, about 2-3 minutes per side.
3. If you like your dressing on the sweet side, increase the amount of honey a ½ tablespoon at a time until desired sweetness is achieved. The basil balsamic vinaigrette can be made a day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. You will need to give it a good few shakes to re-emulsify before serving.
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Grilled Halloumi and Peach Panzanella
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- ½ Pound Crusty Bread (such as boule or chiabatta – cut into 1’’ slices)
- 8 ounces Halloumi Cheese – cut into 8 slices
- 2 Peaches – cut into wedges
- 2 Shallots – thinly sliced
- 2–3 Heirloom Tomatoes – cut into wedges
- 3 ounces Prosciutto
- 2 TBS Fresh Mint – roughly chopped
- ¼ Cup Fresh Basil (divided – roughly chopped)
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 TBS Honey
- ½ Cup Good Olive Oil (plus more for grilling)
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Make the Balsamic Vinaigrette: Add the garlic to the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add in the honey and balsamic. With the food processor running, slowly stream in ½ cup of olive oil. Add in 2 tablespoons of the basil and pulse until blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat grill to medium. Brush bread with a few tablespoons of oil and place on the grill. Cook, turning once, until charred in spots, about 4-5 minutes. Add the halloumi to the grill and cook, 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden. Remove bread and halloumi from grill and set aside to cool slightly.
- To Serve: When bread and halloumi are cool enough to handle, cut or tear into ½’’ cubes. Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Add the peaches, shallots, tomatoes, mint and remaining basil. Add in ¼ cup of the vinaigrette and gently toss to combine. Top with prosciutto and serve with remaining vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy.
Notes
*To Grill Peaches: Brush peaches with 1 tablespoon of oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place on grill, cut side down, and cook until just charred but still firm, about 2-3 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side
