Description
A vibrant and rustic stale bread salad featuring oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, crunchy pesto-coated bread cubes, fresh mozzarella, Kalamata olives, rocket leaves, and toasted pine nuts, all drizzled with balsamic glaze for a perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Tomatoes:
- 300 g Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 0.5 tsp Sugar
- Sea Salt (to taste)
- Black Pepper (to taste)
For the Pesto Bread and Nuts:
- 150 g Stale Bread
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 50 g Pesto
- 30 g Pine Nuts
For the Salad Assembly:
- 60 g Rocket Leaves
- 100 g Kalamata Olives
- 8 Balls Mozzarella Pearls
- 6 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Glaze
- Sea Salt (to taste)
- Black Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) to prepare for roasting the tomatoes and bread.
- Roast Cherry Tomatoes: Place the cherry tomatoes in a non-metal baking dish and season with salt, pepper, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until they are softened and slightly caramelized.
- Prepare Bread Cubes: While tomatoes roast, chop the stale bread into cubes of bite-sized pieces.
- Coat Bread with Pesto Mixture: In a bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the pesto. Toss the bread cubes in this mixture ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Arrange Bread and Pine Nuts on Tray: Spread the pesto-coated bread cubes in a single layer on a baking tray. Add pine nuts to one side of the tray. If your pine nuts are not pre-toasted, roasting them on the tray will enhance their flavor.
- Bake Bread and Nuts: After the initial 20 minutes of roasting tomatoes, place the bread and pine nuts tray into the oven alongside the tomatoes. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes, turning the bread and nuts halfway through to ensure even toasting.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the rocket leaves, Kalamata olives, roasted tomatoes, pesto-coated toasted bread cubes, torn mozzarella pearls, and toasted pine nuts.
- Add Fresh Basil: Tear the fresh basil leaves and sprinkle them over the assembled salad to add fragrance and freshness.
- Dress and Season: Drizzle the salad with balsamic glaze and season with additional salt and black pepper to your taste.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately to enjoy the contrasting textures and warm roasted flavors.
Notes
- Use stale bread as it soaks up the pesto mixture better and crisps nicely without becoming soggy.
- If pine nuts are already toasted, skip the oven roasting step for them.
- Serve the salad promptly to enjoy the sharp contrast between warm roasted ingredients and fresh greens.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute stale gluten-free bread.
- You can use store-bought pesto or homemade for better flavor control.
