This week I'm bringing a taste of the Mediterranean into the studio with a Butter Bean Panzanella, a colourful Italian-inspired summer sharing salad that's bursting with ripe tomatoes, smoky roasted peppers, creamy butter beans and chunks of sourdough soaked in a rich tomato dressing. It's simple, fresh, packed with flavour and perfect for those warm summer days.
INGREDIENTS
The Stars: 1 stale sourdough loaf (preferably a day old) 1 can good-quality butter beans, rinsed and drained 500g ripe tomatoes 1 red pepper 1 green pepper A handful of black olives, roughly chopped A generous handful of fresh basil
The Dressing: 250ml extra virgin olive oil 50ml red wine vinegar 2 cloves garlic, crushed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Make the Tomato Dressing:
Blitz half of the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth, then pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
Whisk the tomato juice together with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper until beautifully combined.
Roast the Peppers:
Roast or grill the peppers until the skins are nicely blackened.
Transfer them to a bowl and cover, or place them into a plastic bag for a few minutes. The trapped steam makes the skins peel away effortlessly.
Peel, deseed and cut into chunky bite-sized pieces.
Build the Salad:
Quarter the remaining tomatoes and place them into a large serving bowl.
Add the roasted peppers, butter beans and chopped black olives.
Soak the Sourdough:
Tear the sourdough into generous rustic chunks and place in a separate bowl.
Pour over the tomato dressing and leave for 5–10 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb all those wonderful flavours while still keeping a little texture.
Bring It All Together:
Add the soaked sourdough to the vegetables and gently fold everything together.
Tear over the fresh basil, give it one final gentle toss and finish with an extra drizzle of good olive oil if you like.
Serve straight to the centre of the table in one large sharing bowl.
Chef’s Tip’s:
Don't over-soak the bread. You want it juicy and packed with flavour, while still keeping a little bite—that's what makes a great panzanella.
