Golden Sourdough Panzanella with Charred Peppers

⏱ 40 min · Serves 4

The Tuscan salad that turns stale bread into the best thing on the table: craggy sourdough croutons soaked in sweet tomato juices, sharpened with red wine vinegar and softened red onion, with sweet charred peppers and torn basil. Best eaten warm-ish, in the sun, with your fingers hovering over the bowl.

Per serving: 412 kcal · 7.5g protein · 38.0g carbs · 25.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g ripe mixed tomatoes (a mix of large and cherry), at room temperature
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
• 250g day-old sourdough or country bread, torn into rough 3cm chunks
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red peppers
• 1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 fat garlic clove, halved
• 1 tbsp capers, drained
• 50g pitted black olives, torn (optional)
• 1 large handful basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cucumber, deseeded and roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cut the large tomatoes into rough wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes. Put them in a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with the 1 tsp flaky salt and leave for 20 minutes to draw out the juices.
2. Meanwhile, soak the sliced red onion in the red wine vinegar with a pinch of salt; it will soften and turn pink.
3. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Toss the torn bread with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt, spread on a tray and bake 12-15 minutes until golden at the edges but still a little chewy in the middle. Rub the warm chunks lightly with the cut garlic clove.
4. While the bread bakes, char the peppers directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning, until blackened all over (about 10 minutes). Pop into a bowl, cover, and leave 5 minutes, then rub off the skins, discard seeds and tear the flesh into strips.
5. Whisk the collected tomato juices with the onion-vinegar mixture and the remaining 4 tbsp olive oil. Taste: it should be bright and savoury.
6. In a large bowl combine the bread, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, capers and olives. Pour over the dressing and toss well.
7. Leave to sit for 10 minutes so the bread drinks up the juices, then fold through the basil, season with black pepper and more salt if needed, and serve at room temperature.