Food and Recipes Dish Salad Muffuletta Panzanella Be the first to rate & review! Muffuletta panzanella is a bread salad with all the flavors of New Orleans muffuletta sandwiches. By Elizabeth Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for the Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama and tests and develops recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and Health. She received her bachelor's degree in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. After university, she dipped her toes in the restaurant industry and never looked back. She completed her culinary degree at The Culinary Institute of America. Elizabeth has been a part of the Meredith Food Studios since 2017. Prior to that, she cooked in restaurants in New Orleans, Charleston, and Chicago. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on July 18, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close 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 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. 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. 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. Rate It Print