Gluten Free Balsamic Panzanella Salad (Dairy Free)
Our delicious balsamic Panzanella salad is made with gluten free baguette, creamy dairy free cheese, and fresh tomatoes and basil for a colorful salad that's packed with flavor. This is perfect for summer and is easy to make.Gluten free, dairy free, vegan if using egg-free bread
Servings 5 servings
Calories 362kcal
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces Violife Grill Me Cheese
- 2 cups sliced mini cucumbers
- 2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 shallot, sliced (or ¼ red onion, sliced)
- 1 ½ cups gluten free baguette or Italian bread cut or torn into 1-inch pieces (your favorite dairy free brand)
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil, sliced thin (I like to chiffonade fresh basil)
Balsamic viniagrette
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used a bold tasting olive oil)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Modena balsamic vinegar*
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small clove garlic, pressed
Instructions
- Tear the gluten free baguette into 1-inch pieces and set out to air dry while preparing the rest of the salad. A sturdy baguette or Italian bread works the best here.
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat to cook the grilling cheese.
- Cut the Violife grilling cheese into 1-inch squares and cook on each side in the preheated pan until each side is lightly browned and the middle is soft. Set aside and allow to cool a bit while making the rest of the salad.
- Wash and slice the mini cucumbers to about 1/8-inch thick and add a large bowl.
- Wash and cut the small tomatoes in half and add to the bowl.
- Slice the shallots OR red onion thinly and add to the bowl. If you find these too strong, you can use chopped chives instead for a milder onion flavor.
- Chiffonade your basil by washing it, rolling it, and thinly slicing. Add to the bowl.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, adjusting the balsamic vinegar to taste depending on how tart your balsamic is, and add to the bowl and toss to coat everything.
- Add the bread pieces last and gently toss to coat again, making sure not to crush or break up the bread while stirring.
- Serve immediately, topped with the dairy-free grilling cheese. You can always use a different cheese here if you can't find the grilling cheese. This would also be amazing with prosciutto on top.
- I recommend eating this salad when you serve it since bread will get too soggy with any leftovers.
Notes
*Adjust the amount of balsamic vinegar depending on how tart it is. I used 3 Tablespoons since the one we used (Fini Modena balsamic vinegar) is thick and sweet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 922mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 748IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg
