I love this recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis. She always has great recipes that are almost always healthy (except for her desserts!) and include many veggies, fruits and natural ingredients. I also like that she uses whole wheat pasta, wheat bread and olive oil in many recipes. This is one of my favorites and it’s super easy to make. You can cut down on the olive oil if you are worried about added calories or fat. But, olive oil has many benefits because it is a “good” fat…so don’t be scared of it! Even Dr. Oz says you should have a little olive oil every day.
Artichoke and Tomato Panzanella
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (about 2 cups)
- 3 cups whole-wheat bread
, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces - 3 large, red tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cup pitted black olives, halved
- 3/4 cup chopped, fresh basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
Directions
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the bread and artichoke hearts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread and artichokes until golden brown at the edges, about 6 minutes total, turning every 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bread and artichokes from the grill and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the tomatoes, olives and basil to the bowl and toss to combine. In a small bowl stir together the 2/3 cup olive oil, white wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss to combine and serve immediately.
