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Caponata Panzanella Salad

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
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Ingredients

Caponata

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 large large eggplant, chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ small red onion, small dice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • ¼ cup green olives, pitted and chopped
  • 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Panzanella

  • 4 cups torn up bread pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • ⅓ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • extra chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the pieces of eggplant and oregano. Stir the pieces around to coat them in the oil and herb. Stir the pot here and there until the eggplant is browned on all sides. Add the red onions and garlic to the pot. Stir it up a bit, adding a bit more olive oil if necessary to avoid sticking.
  • Once the onions are soft and translucent, add the red wine vinegar. Scrape the bottom of the pan and stir the mix until the vinegar has evaporated. Add the capers, olives and tomatoes to the pot and stir. Allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the eggplant is tender and the tomatoes have let out a bit of juice. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, season to taste, and set aside to cool.
  • Place the bread pieces on the parchment lined sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Slide the tray into the oven and bake until golden brown on all sides, about 12-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Set aside to cool.
  • Combine the caponata with the croutons, stirring gently until just combined. Garnish the salad with a hearty drizzle of more olive oil, the halved tomatoes and extra parsley. I also like to scatter the crouton crumb-y bits left on the pan over the top of the salad for more crunch.

Recipe Notes

  • It's pretty crucial to cook the eggplant until it's VERY tender, like a solid 15 minute simmer.
  • There's a lot of salty bits in the caponata so I recommend tasting the finished product (with bread etc) before you season with additional salt.
A flavourful mashup of tangy eggplant caponata mixed with summer tomatoes and toasted stale bread. So delicious and perfect for summer!