Muffuletta Panzanella

Muffuletta panzanella is a bread salad with all the flavors of New Orleans muffuletta sandwiches.

Southern Living Muffuletta Panzanella salad in a bowl to serve
Photo:

Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Prissy Montiel

Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
4

The bright, intense flavors of a classic muffuletta meet the rich and juicy textures of a timeless panzanella in this salad. The giardiniera does most of the heavy lifting in the dressing. The brine is so distinctive that its flavor immediately reminds you of the New Orleans sandwich.

To tie the sandwich to a panzanella salad, we used the grated tomato as the base for the dressing. The sweetness of the tomato contrasts all of the pickled and salty ingredients in the salad. The pickled giardiniera, mixed olives, and deli meat (you can pick your favorites) are all ingredients that are super flavorful on their own, but mixed together, it’s just perfect.

The toasted ciabatta soaks up the dressing so that it becomes soft but you still have some little crispy edges for texture. Theres a little arugula for color and freshness, but really, this salad is all about the mix-ins.

Ingredients

  • 1 (18-oz.) loaf ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1/4 cup, plus 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, divided

  • 1 cup chopped pitted marinated olives

  • 1 cup chopped giardiniera (mixed pickled vegetables), plus 2 Tbsp. brine (from 1 [16-oz.] jar)

  • 1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper strips (from 1 [16-oz.] jar)

  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated (about 1 1/2 tsp.)

  • 1/3 lb. thinly sliced Italian deli meats (such as salami, hot capocollo, and mortadella), cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup packed)

  • 4 oz. deli provolone cheese, cut into strips (about 1 1/4 cups)

  • 2 cups packed baby arugula

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss ciabatta with 3 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt on a large rimmed baking sheet; spread into an even layer. Bake until crisp, about 18 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time. Remove from oven. Let cool 15 minutes.

  2. While bread bakes, cut 1 of the tomatoes in half. Place a box grater inside a large bowl. Grate tomato halves on largest holes of box grater; discard tomato skins. Stir in olives, giardiniera, brine, red bell pepper strips, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined.

  3. Seed and roughly chop remaining tomato. Add toasted ciabatta, chopped tomato, sliced meats, and cheese to grated tomato mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Let stand until bread absorbs most of dressing, about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Stir in arugula just before serving.

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