Four Bean Summer Panzanella with Garlic Scape and Parsley Vinaigrette

Panzanella is an Italian style of salad that uses stale bread. This summery bean version is protein-packed and full of seasonal produce. The bright green dressing gets its color from seasonal garlic scapes and fresh parsley. Serve as a side or as a … — Panzanella is an Italian style of salad that uses stale bread. This summery bean version is protein-packed and full of seasonal produce. The bright green dressing gets its color from seasonal garlic scapes and fresh parsley. Serve as a side or as a main dish over greens or grains. (Photo source: Lauren Skillen)

| Yield: 6-8 servings | Time: 30 minutes |

Ingredients

Homemade croutons  

4 cups of torn leftover bread

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Four bean salad

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can cannelleni beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, diced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Garlic scape and parsley vinaigrette

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

1/4 cup red wine, white wine, or apple cider vinegar

7 garlic scapes, ends trimmed

1 cup loosely packed parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Preparation

Make the homemade croutons. Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack placed in the middle. Add the torn up bread to a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to combine. Add the baking sheet to the oven and toast the bread for 15-20 minutes until the pieces become dry and toasted to a light golden brown.

Cook the green beans. Insert a steamer basket in a saucepan with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans to the steamer basket, cover, and allow the them to steam for about 3 minutes, or until they turn bright green. Uncover, remove the steamer from the saucepan and allow the beans to cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the remaining four bean salad ingredients to the large bowl.

Make the vinaigrette. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender pitcher and blend on high for 1-2 minutes to completely combine the ingredients into a bright green liquid.

Pour the vinaigrette over the bean salad ingredients and toss to combine. Serve bean salad over salad greens or cooked grains of choice, if desired.

Zero-waste tips

Stale, day-old bread is perfect for this panzanella.
Pickle the other half of the red onion.
Since the vinaigrette is blended, use the parsley stems—they are full of flavor!