BLT PANZANELLA

BLT panzanella image

Combine the elements of a BLT - salty bacon, crisp lettuce and sweet tomatoes - with golden croutons and a vinegary dressing for a twist on a panzanella

Provided by Liberty Mendez

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

6 rashers thick-cut bacon
300g day-old sourdough or other crusty bread, torn into large chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
700g ripe mixed cherry tomatoes, any larger ones halved
100g mayonnaise
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp honey
small bunch of basil, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
80g rocket

Steps:

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Put the bacon in a shallow baking tray in a single layer and bake for 15 mins, turning halfway through until just starting to crisp up. Add the bread pieces and 1 tbsp of the olive oil, season with black pepper and toss everything together. Bake for 10 mins more until the bread is lightly toasted and the bacon crisp, tossing again halfway through. Leave to cool, then chop the bacon into rough pieces.
Tip the tomatoes in a colander set in the sink, sprinkle over 1 tsp sea salt and leave for 15 mins.
Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, shallot, capers, lemon zest and juice, honey and basil together in a small bowl and lightly season. Pour half the dressing into a large bowl and whisk in the remaining oil and 1 tbsp water. Tip in the rocket, drained tomatoes, bacon and croutons and toss to combine.
Pile the panzanella onto a large serving platter and scatter over the extra basil leaves. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 404 calories, Fat 24 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 33 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 10 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 12 grams protein, Sodium 2.4 milligram of sodium