Garbage Panzanella Salad

This garbage panzanella salad is perfect for the hot summer weather. After a day in the heat I have no desire to turn on my oven, but some days I also don’t feel like grilling. The solution is to make a giant garbage salad and to enjoy it al fresco.

I’ve been making dinner almost every night, but most nights it’s a dish like this – something easy, healthy, quick and refreshing. The addition of beans and mozzarella gives it bulk, and the croutons and celery add a fun crunch. Just like every recipe I post, this is more a guide than a recipe. Feel free to make it your own. I like to use the colors of the rainbow as my salad guide, and try to get a little bit of every color into the bowl.

Garbage Panzanella Salad
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 large mozzarella ball
1 orange pepper
1 red pepper
2 roma tomatoes (I would have used heirloom if I had them)
1 large celery stalk
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced in thirds
1 cup loosely packed raw baby spinach
1-2 cups homemade croutons
1/4 cup sliced hearts of palm
kosher salt, red wine vinegar, olive oil

Directions: Cut the mozzarella, peppers, tomatoes and celery into roughly the same size pieces. Toss in a large bowl with the beans, olives, spinach, croutons and hearts of palm. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Add red wine vinegar and olive oil in a 1:2 ratio until well dressed. Enjoy!

Shorter version of directions: Cut everything into bite sized pieces, toss together and add a vinegar/olive oil dressing.