Recipes

GF Panzanella Salad with Roasted Grapes & Heirloom Tomatoes

For the Gluten-free Panzanella Salad with Roasted Grapes and Heirloom Tomatoes:

1 batchtoasted gluten-free panzanella croutons (recipe below)
1 batchroasted grapes (recipe below), or another in-season fruit (see tips)
2 cups (500 g / 1 lb)ripe heirloom tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes (or hothouse, roma, beefsteak, cherry, or grape tomatoes)), sliced into wedges or bite-sized pieces
1 tspsea salt
½ mediumred onion
1 cupbitter greens (such as radicchio, arugula, or kale) cut or torn into bite-sized
½ cupkalamata olives, chopped
½ largeEnglish cucumber, sliced
½ cupplant-based feta-style cheese (we used Violife), cubed or crumbled (or another soft and creamy dairy-free cheese)
½ – 1 cupfresh basil, torn or roughly chopped
1 batchsimple vinaigrette dressing (recipe below)
to tastesalt and pepper

For the toasted gluten-free panzanella croutons:

6 cups (8 – 10 slices)Little Northern Bakehouse Sprouted 7 Grain gluten-free bread, torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces View Product
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
to tastesalt and pepper

For the roasted grapes:

2 cupsseedless grapes (red, green, black, or a mix), stems removed
1 tspolive oil
2 tspfresh thyme (2 or 3 sprigs or 1 tsp dried)
to tastesalt and pepper

For the simple vinaigrette dressing:

½ cupolive oil
3 – 4 Tbspapple cider vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar, or another light vinegar)
2 clovesgarlic, grated or finely minced (or 1 small shallot, finely minced)
½ – 1 tspDijon mustard (or grainy mustard)
½ tspsea salt (or to taste)
½ – 1 tspcoconut sugar (or agave or another sweetener of choice (optional))
to tastefresh cracked pepper

By Little Northern Bakehouse

Vegan Gluten-free Panzanella Salad with Rustic Croutons, Roasted Grapes, and Heirloom Tomatoes on Bitter Greens with Kalamata Olives, Dairy-free Feta, Cucumber, Red Onion and Basil in a Simple Vinaigrette Dressing

Learn how to make gluten-free panzanella salad with this simple recipe bursting with sophisticated sweet-savoury flavour combos and rich textural contrasts. Make it for yourself or serve it as a showstopping dinner salad—either way, your tastebuds delight in the unexpected pairing of juicy heirloom tomatoes and lush roasted grapes.

With bright basil, creamy dairy-free feta, salty olives, zesty red onion, refreshing cucumber, and bitter greens, and rustic gluten-free croutons to bring it all together, you won’t find a boring bite in this bowl!

The secret that stands between stunning and soggy gluten-free panzanella? Much like gluten-free stuffing, it all comes down to giving generously sized croutons a good toasting and managing moisture.

While conventional panzanella wisdom says to start with stale bread and give it at least an hour to soak up the dressing, great gluten-free panzanella calls for a bit of a different approach.

Rustically torn by hand or sliced into cubes, to make the best gluten-free panzanella salad, trade stale bread for evenly toasted croutons. Then tweak the salad tossing timing so it lands in the goldilocks zone between not-long-enough and too-long.

The perfect gluten-free panzanella soak-to-serve window? No less than 15 minutes, but not much more than 45—an hour is an invitation to soggy town.

What’s the best gluten-free bread for panzanella salad? Lean on the heartier side. We used Little Northern Bakehouse Sprouted 7 Grain in our GF Panzanella Salad with Roasted Grapes & Heirloom Tomatoes recipe, but any sturdy slice will do.

Our Whole Grain Wide Slice or Seeds & Grains breads also have the heft to do gluten-free panzanella salad justice.

(Save our softer, fluffier gluten-free breads for sandwiches, toasts, and other recipes where their smooth texture shines).

Instructions:

1. Arrange oven racks so the top rack is in the middle. Pre-heat oven to 350°F and get out two baking sheets.

2. Prepare the roasted grapes: Line the first baking sheet with parchment. Drizzle grapes with olive oil with thyme and season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast on the bottom rack for 25 – 30 minutes, or until grapes are softened and some have started to burst, stirring 3 or 4 times for even roasting. Remove from oven when done and set aside to cool.

3. Prepare the gluten-free panzanella croutons: Once grapes are in the oven, tear gluten-free bread into rustic bite-sized pieces or slice into cubes (about 1 – 1 ½-inch × 1 – 1 ½-inch (2.5 – 3.5-cm)). Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic powder and salt. Arrange torn gluten-free bread evenly on the second baking sheet and bake on the upper rack until lightly toasted, crisp on the outside but still slightly soft inside, about 10 – 15 minutes. Flip halfway to ensure even toasting. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

4. Prepare the heirloom tomatoes: While the grapes roast and gluten-free panzanella croutons bake, salt the tomatoes. In a colander over a medium bowl, toss tomatoes with 1 tsp salt. Let salted tomatoes sit for 15 minutes, toss 2 or 3 more times while they rest. Set the colander of tomatoes in the sink, taking care to reserve all the juices in the bowl.

5. Prepare remaining salad ingredients: Chop, slice, and tear onions, olives, cucumber, basil, and bitter greens. Place in a large salad bowl.

6. Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all dressing ingredients. Add reserved juices from salting the tomatoes. Whisk or shake until emulsified.

7. Assemble the Gluten-free Panzanella Salad with Roasted Grapes and Heirloom Tomatoes: Add gluten-free panzanella croutons to the large salad bowl. Add tomatoes, roasted grapes, and dressing. Toss together and allow to sit 15 – 30 minutes before serving. (Best served within 30 – 45 minutes of dressing the salad, see tips). Enjoy!

Serves 4

Tips:

Allow to sit 15 – 30 minutes before serving to allow dressing and juices to soak into the bread. If making ahead for a party or potluck, don’t assemble or dress the salad more than an hour ahead to avoid soggy gluten-free panzanella croutons. Pack the wet ingredients separate from the bread, and dress 15 – 30 minutes before serving.
We used roasted grapes to make our sweet-savoury salad accessible all year, but seasonal fruits work, too! Swap in grilled plums or peaches—or sliced fresh strawberries or blackberries—for the roasted grapes to make summer fruit the star of this gluten-free panzanella salad. Or leave out the roasted fruit and use roasted cherry tomatoes instead for a roasted-fresh tomato contrast.

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