Vegetarian Recipes

Panzanella Salad

https://www.loveandlemons.com/panzanella-salad/

If I had to choose one ingredient that best represents summer, it would have to be the tomato! Everyone loves perfect bright, juicy summer tomatoes, and in my opinion, there’s no better way to celebrate them then with panzanella!

This recipe has been a fan favorite (and one of our favorites) for awhile, so I thought I’d share it again now that all of these ingredients are in peak season. If you look closely, you’ll see that there are more than just tomatoes in this panzanella. I call this one my “everything summer” panzanella because I took the liberty of tossing in a few sweet peaches and some fresh corn, in addition to a plethora of colorful heirloom and cherry tomatoes. It’s basically the salad you want to make for dinner the day you come home from the farmers market with all kinds of good stuff.

What is Panzanella?

Panzanella is an Italian bread salad. Traditional panzanella features cubes of stale bread, plenty of ripe tomatoes, onion, vinegar, and olive oil. I keep the vinegar, oil, onion, and tomatoes in this variation, but as you can see, my “everything summer” twist is wholly unconventional. With the sweet, juicy peaches, crisp corn, and chewy chickpeas, it’s a delectable showcase for late summer produce.

How to Make This Panzanella Salad

First, gather all of the best tomatoes, peaches, corn, and basil that you can find.

Second, find some good bread! I nabbed a gorgeous round of sourdough at my farmers market. You’re ready to cook!

Did I mention that this is a one bowl recipe? The dressing gets stirred at the bottom of a large bowl, before everything else gets added. It couldn’t be easier!

Next, add “everything summer” to the bowl – the tomatoes, peaches, corn, basil & some shaved red onion. Stir to let the peach and tomato juices mingle together.

Fold in some crusty day-old bread. Let it sit for a few minutes so that the bread can soak up some of the juices. Top with roasted chickpeas (optional for a little protein!) and plenty of sliced basil leaves.

Panzanella Salad Recipe Variations

This salad is flexible, so make it to your liking! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

If you don’t like corn, skip it.
Replace the peaches with extra tomatoes, or with half tomatoes and half sliced English cucumber.
Add grilled or roasted red bell pepper.
Top it with shaved Parmesan.
Stir in some mini fresh mozzarella balls.
Add dollops of fresh pesto at the end.
If you have extra time, toss your bread cubes with a bit of olive oil and bake in a 425-degree oven until they’re nicely golden, about 10 minutes. The stale bread will really soak up the salad’s tangy dressing, and it will hold its shape better if you want to make this salad ahead!

Let me know what variations you try!

What to Serve with Panzanella Salad

Enjoy the panzanella on its own or serve it as a side dish. It would be excellent with classic summer picnic fare like portobello burgers, black bean burgers, veggie burgers, or BBQ sandwiches. It would also be a good starter for a light summer lasagna or roasted vegetable pasta.

No matter what, pair it with some crisp white wine and savor the last bits of summer!

If you love this panzanella salad recipe…

Try my watermelon salad, pasta salad, broccoli salad, potato salad, or any of these summer salads next!

Panzanella Salad

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Salad

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or sherry vinegar, more as desired
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup sliced red onion
Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn
10 small or 5 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges
16 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 peaches, pitted and sliced
4 to 5 cups cubed crusty bread
1 cup chopped fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup roasted chickpeas, optional

In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, mustard, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Add the onion, and corn and toss until coated. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
To the bowl, add the tomatoes, peaches, bread, and half the basil. Toss to combine, adding more olive oil if the bread is too dry, and more lemon, salt, and pepper, to taste. Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes so that the juices can soak into the bread. Give it a toss, then top with the remaining fresh basil and the chickpeas, if using.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.