A Bread Salad
I dare you to name something better than a salad…made from bread! It’s everyone’s dream come true! No leaves. All Bread. But don’t you worry, this Citrus Beet Panzanella Salad isn’t as unhealthy as I’m making it sound.
Panzanella is an Italian salad dish that is typically made from stale bread, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. It’s more of a summer dish, but I decided to make my own rendition of the salad that’s fit for the winter!
A Peek into the Panzanella
My Citrus Beet Panzanella Salad has a base layer of whipped ricotta cheese. It’s whipped in a blender with milk until it becomes silky smooth! Then on top of the layer of whipped ricotta, we have everything else: roasted red and golden beets, toasted rye bread cubes, segmented oranges, pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and dill oil!
I think that the earthiness and light licorice flavor of the rye bread goes perfectly with the sweetness of the beets. The oranges and pomegranate seeds add a pop of color and a burst of juiciness. Both the dill oil and the whipped ricotta act as our “dressing,” and the pistachios give us that crunch factor.
As I’ve mentioned in my “About” section, I don’t think I fall into a culinary niche. I enjoy experimenting with different cuisines and styles, and I never want to feel limited as to what I can produce. I’ll post quick and easy recipes, and other times, I’ll post more refined recipes.
This Citrus Beet Panzanella Salad kind of falls into the more refined category. Not that I think this is Michelin star material, but it’s definitely more complex, flavor-wise, and not a “One Sheet Pan Dinner” type of deal. I like having the freedom to explore and bring out my different culinary personalities with food.
Evolving My Photography
I absolutely loved the photoshoot process for this dish. There were so many colors and textures going on, and I got to be more precise with my plating. The orange segments and pomegranate seeds added bright jewel-like tones to the dish, the bread added a rustic element, the pistachios and dill were a pop of green, and some of the golden beets absorbed the juice from the red beets, creating this cool gold and ruby tie dye situation.
When I first started my blog, the photoshoot process was so confusing to me and would make my heart race. I had no idea what functions or settings to use, and didn’t know what they did. However, now that I’ve been doing this for a few months, I’m slowly learning more about photography. This Citrus Beet Panzanella Salad recipe is the one of the first photoshoots that I’ve been over the moon about. I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but I can sense the evolution and progress I’ve made just by looking at these photos, and it makes me so darn happy! I know I have so much more to learn and that this only the beginning, but I’m so freaking proud of these strides I’m making!
Servin’ Up Some Panzanella
I am completely in love with this dish from its taste to its appearance! If you don’t feel like eating a bowl of greens in the dead of winter, I’d highly suggest this Citrus Beet Panzanella Salad! It’s a little outside of the box, but sometimes, that’s what you need! Personally, I think this salad is best served and eaten the day-of. If you store any leftovers, it can kind of turn into a pile of mush, so keep that in mind. And even though I originally sold it to you as a “carby” bread salad, you’ve got a lot of healthy and natural ingredients incorporated into it.
Thank you, so much, for your support and joining me today! In the beginning, I didn’t really know what would happen with this blog, but, crazily enough, it is slowly growing! It’s so cool to see people from different countries coming to my blog, and it makes me even more excited to create and share new recipes with you all! Thank you, again, and I’ll catch you in my next post!
Citrus Beet Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Loaf of Rye Bread (Cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 3 Red Beets (Peeled and cut into wedges)
- 3 Golden Beets (Peeled and cut into wedges)
- 2 Oranges (Segmented)
- 1/2 cup Fresh Dill Leaves + More for Garnish (Picked from stem)
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup Ricotta
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 1/2 cup Roasted Pistachios
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Seeds
- As Needed Kosher Salt and Pepper
- As Needed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 400˚F.
- Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the beets onto the sheet tray and mix them together with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper until the beets are evenly coated. Place the beets into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Stir halfway through the cooking process. Once the beets have cooked, remove them from the oven an allow them to cool.
- Line another sheet tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Mix together the rye bread cubes, 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 tsp kosher salt together on the sheet tray. Place the sheet tray into the oven and toast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway. You want the bread cubes to be crusty on the outside but still have a little chew in the center. They should not be completely hard throughout like croutons.
- Place the dill, 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, and 1/4 tsp of kosher salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the oil into a fine mesh strainer then set aside.
- Then place the ricotta in a blender with the milk and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Blend the ricotta until it is smooth. Set aside.
- To plate the salad, use a spoon to spread a layer of the whipped ricotta onto the plate. Then begin layering the beets, bread cubes, and orange segments on top of the ricotta. Sprinkle the pistachios and pomegranate seeds on top. Drizzle the dill oil on top and garnish with dill fronds. Enjoy!
Beautiful dish and great photography !
Thanks!