Roasted Panzanella Salad with Creole Croutons

 Bites of JOY!

Day 4 of Eating Light with Creole Contessa, I have for you, Roasted Panzanella Salad with Creole Croutons. Panzanella salad is an Italian salad, made with day old crusty bread and coated in a wonderful vinaigrette.  I kicked up my Panzanella by roasting the vegetables and using Creole croutons.

I started by roasting baby grape tomatoes, coated in olive oil and seasonings. Roast the tomatoes until they start to pop!

Next, I roasted the corn, bell peppers and onions. Of course, they're seasoned with by spice blend and more olive oil.

I placed everything in a large bowl. Added diced cucumbers and don't forget the cubed mozzarella cheese. 

Once everything is placed in the salad bowl, pour the vinaigrette and toss well. Allow salad to sit for about 30 minutes before serving. I couldn't wait that long, so I ate it immediately.

The salad turned out perfect! You have bites of crunchiness from the croutons, then you have some creaminess from the mozzarella, don't forget the pockets of joy that pops into your mouth when you bite into the tomatoes. It's just a food party happening with this salad.

O.K. people, Let's EAT!

Roasted Panzanella Salad with Creole Croutons

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

7 cups 1 inch cubed day old Italian bread
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 hot house cucumber, peeled, diced
1 can of organic corn
1 head of organic lettuce
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 large mozzarella ball, diced
extra virgin olive oil

For the Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard
4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare Vinaigrette, pour all ingredients into a jar, place lid on jar and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Shake again before using.

To prepare salad, rinse all vegetables and pat dry. Dry lettuce very well, spin if possible and set aside.

Mix seasoning blend and set aside.

Cube bread and place on a baking sheet. Coat bread in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of seasoning blend on bread and mix well. Toast bread in oven for about 10 minutes, turning to brown on both sides.

Place tomatoes, peppers, corn and onions on a baking sheet. Coat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle remaining seasoning blend on vegetables, mix well. Roast vegetables for about 15 minutes, until tomatoes start to pop. Add chopped garlic and roast around 5 minutes more. Chop peppers and onions into bite sized pieces.

Peel cucumber, seed, and dice, place into a large salad bowl. Add chopped lettuce. Add roasted vegetables, croutons, and cheese. Pour vinaigrette over salad and mix well. Allow salad to rest around 30 minutes and serve immediately.