Tuscan Bread Salad

This delicious salad makes a refreshing lunch on a warm summer’s day. Enjoy it in the shade of a 13th century castle on our Tuscany Hilltowns tour, where the jade-green olive oil makes this peasant dish simply sublime.

Ingredients

  • 8-10 slices of stale country bread, preferably unsalted
  • 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small chunks
  • A handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces
  • Tuscan extra virgin olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Salt & pepper

Preparation

Soak the bread in cold water until it is soft. Squeeze it very well and crumble the bread into uneven small chunks into a salad bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except the vinegar and toss well. Chill for an hour or two, then add a splash of vinegar and serve. Serves 4.

Quaff a young robust Chianti and dream of walking through the idyllic Tuscan countryside. Buon appetito!