A Most Tasty Toss Up
This salad is a real flavor packed bit of business, no bull🐂! Not to mention the fact that any salad that features seasoned and crunchy croutons in every forkful🍴 is also my kind of salad 🥗 ! This Baby Arugula and Bread Salad is a Spanish take on a Tuscan Panzanella Salad. Bread is a featured ingredient but the rest is based on popular ingredients from each region. In this recipe, peppery greens are matched with sweet and juicy strawberries and Spanish Manchego Cheese. The dressing is bold with vinegar and horseradish and the perfect compliment to the mix.
It’s springtime now and the spicy, tender baby arugula is ready to be eaten. If you’re not familiar with arugula, it’s a delicious and peppery little green that adds so much flavor to almost anything you’re making or eating right now. The dressing is the perfect compliment to the arugula, it’s incredible how all the flavors work so perfectly together. Here’s a great way to try it, I think you’re going to love it! Baby Arugula and Bread Salad is wonderful served as an appetizer or salad side dish.
This salad is Spanish 💃🏻 in style, so It’s origin and ingredients pair perfectly with a nice grilled steak 🥩 . This is a real flavor-filled bit of business!
Garden Tales 🐰🐇
Every year I grow a bit of lettuce 🥬 . I generally have to stop by early July because it gets just too hot 🥵 to continue. If you want to throw your hand into a big or very small scale garden, early season lettuce will literally let you reap your delicious rewards for months.
I have trouble keeping those pesky wabbits 🐇out of my garden. This is especially the case in early spring. I always underestimate these adorable but unstoppable little munching machines. One of the best ways to do it, put some of your tender greens into a raised bed or into large pots.
Once your lettuce gets going, just snip and snack! Arugula grows like a weed. You just have to make sure you keep pulling the flower starts from the top. This will keep the arugula growing and filling out. Just cut what you need and enjoy.
The Bread – Croutons for the Baby Arugula and Bread Salad
Preheat your oven to 375°
The perfect bread for this recipe is Ciabatta. Ciabatta is a classic Italian style of bread similar in makeup to its French counterpart, baguette. Ciabatta is made from a very wet dough which gives it its unique moist texture and one-of-a-kind flavor. The flavor is not only created from the high hydration dough, but also from a preferment called a biga. If you can’t find Ciabatta, substitute with a similar type of bread.
Using 1/2 a loaf of Ciabatta, cut the Ciabatta into 1 inch pieces. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and top with the bread. Toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat. Season with about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
Spread the bread out into a single layer and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the bread, toss and continue to bake another 5 minutes until it’s golden brown and crispy on the outside, but still chewy on the inside.
For the Dressing
Into a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of drained, prepared horseradish with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon honey in a small bowl to combine. Whisking constantly,slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil. Adding the oil slowly will help the dressing emulsify.
The Arugula and Bread Salad
Slice 4 ounces of manchego cheese a thinly as possible. Wash and dry 2 cups of baby arugula. While arugula is the perfect lettuce for this salad, a little goes a long way. I like to mix it with romaine or butter lettuce. Was the romaine or butter lettece, remove the core and tear into bite sized pieces.
Clean strawberries, remove hulls and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
Toss everything except the cheese with the vinaigrette then top with the Manchego.
Enjoy!
Salad with Baby Arugula and Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread (or similar)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 cup strawberries
- 4 ounces Manchego cheese
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 cups romaine or butter lettuce (1 small head)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°
For the Croutons
- Cut the Ciabatta into 1 inch pieces.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and top with the bread.
- Toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat.
- Season with about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Spread the bread out into a single layer and bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove the bread, toss and continue to bake another 5 minutes until it's golden brown and crispy on the outside, but still chewy on the inside.
For the Dressing
- Into a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of drained, prepared horseradish with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon honey
- Whisking constantly and slowly, drizzle in 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil. (adding the oil slowly will help the dressing emulsify.)
For the Salad
- Slice 4 ounces of Manchego cheese a thinly as possible.
- Wash and dry 2 cups of baby arugula.
- Wash and dry 2 cups of romaine or butter lettuce. Remove core and tear into bite sized pieces
- Clean strawberries, remove hulls and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
- Toss everything except the cheese with the vinaigrette then top with the Manchego.
