Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 250 g rustic sourdough or ciabatta bread, stale, torn into bite-sized chunks
- 600 g ripe tomatoes, chopped into wedges or large chunks
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 15 g fresh basil, leaves picked and roughly torn
Vinaigrette
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic, minced
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the chopped tomatoes in a colander set over a large mixing bowl. Toss the tomatoes with the kosher salt.
Let the tomatoes sit for 15 minutes to draw out their natural juices into the bowl below. This tomato water will form the base of the vinaigrette.
While the tomatoes drain, soak the thinly sliced red onions in a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to remove their harsh bite, then drain thoroughly.
Remove the colander of tomatoes and set aside. To the bowl containing the extracted tomato juice, add the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil until emulsified.
Add the torn stale bread, drained tomatoes, and drained red onions to the vinaigrette bowl. Toss thoroughly to ensure every piece of bread is coated in the dressing.
Let the salad rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This allows the dry bread to soak up the juices and soften slightly while maintaining a chewy core.
Just before serving, tear the fresh basil leaves over the salad and give it one final gentle toss. Serve at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- Tearing the bread rather than cutting it with a knife creates craggy, irregular edges that absorb the vinaigrette much better.
- The quality of the olive oil is paramount here. Since the dressing is uncooked, use your best finishing extra virgin olive oil.
- Never refrigerate your tomatoes before making this dish; refrigeration destroys the volatile flavor compounds that make fresh tomatoes taste vibrant.
- If your bread isn't stale enough, you can artificially age it by lightly toasting the torn pieces in the oven until they sound hollow when tapped, but do not let them take on dark color.
Storage
Refrigerator: 24 hours — Bread will continue to soften and may become mushy after 24 hours.
