Spring Panzanella with Asparagus, Peas, Herbs and a Lemon Buttermilk Dressing. A slight twist on a Bon Appétit recipe from 2020 by Molly Baz, this is the bomb.
Traditional Panzanella leans on the juice of tomatoes to soften the bread, melding everything together. This version takes things up a notch, using a dreamy lemon buttermilk dressing that is so good you’ll want to put it on everything you make.
I added both fresh shelled peas and pea shoots to this dish, but they are both not needed if you can’t find them in season – this is not the place for frozen peas, so just add in a few more sliced sugar snaps if you can’t find the others. You’ll need to blanch the peas, making for a bright green addition to the already gorgeous array of seasonal veggies.
Spring Panzanella
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 8 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
- Kosher salt freshly ground pepper
- 1 English hothouse cucumber halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1½” pieces
- 4 scallions thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 4 oz. sugar snap peas trimmed, thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup shelled fresh peas (optional - when available)
- 2-3 slices sourdough bread
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed, sliced on a diagonal into 2” pieces
- 1 cup fresh pea shoots only when available - omit otherwise
- 1 cup chopped herbs - basil, chives, parsley, mint
- 4 oz. feta
Instructions
- Finely grate garlic and the zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl. Slice both lemons in half and squeeze their juice into the bowl. Add buttermilk and 6 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine. Season dressing with salt and lots of pepper.
- To prepare the shelled peas, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil, adding1 Tbsp of kosher salt. Prepare an ice bath by placing a bowl of ice in the sink with cold water. Blanch the fresh peas for about 45 seconds. Remove from the heat and immediately dunk the peas into the bowl of ice... I like to use a large strainer that can fit into the ice bath, so the peas are easy to extract once chilled. Set aside until you are assembling the veggies in the dressing.
- Lightly crush cucumber on a cutting board with a rolling pin or wine bottle. Add cucumber, scallions, sugar snap peas, and blanched shelled peas to dressing and toss well to combine. Let sit while you fry the bread and asparagus.
- Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. oil into a 12 inch skillet, allowing room for 2-3 slices of bread to lay flat. Cook, undisturbed, over medium heat until golden brown and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn bread over and cook just to lightly fry on the other side, about 2 minutes. Season both sides of bread with salt. Transfer to a plate.
- Arrange asparagus in same skillet, season with salt, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and blistered in some spots, but still crisp-tender, about 3 -4 minutes. Add to salad.
- Tear bread into 1½” pieces and add to salad. Toss to evenly coat and help bread soak up some of the dressing. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add herbs (and pea shoots, if using) to salad and toss once more.
- Divide salad among shallow bowls, reserving any dressing and juices that pool at the bottom of bowl. Break feta into large pieces and nestle into salad in each bowl. Drizzle reserved dressing and juices over.
Notes
