Winter Panzanella with Orange, Roasted Beets, and Pomegranate Seeds Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Author Notes

To our minds the most masterful use of stale bread occurs in Italian cuisine, where a few leftover slices are the basis for a most heavenly salad with fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. We turn to panzanella when our garden overflows with tomatoes -- and are heartbroken once the deluge finally runs dry. A few years ago as we contemplated a loaded backyard orange tree, it dawned on us that winter fruit would carry our favorite salad through cold weather, sweet citrus supplying the juice that toasted bread ably soaks up. We add other stars of the season too, such as pomegranate seeds and roasted beets, plus a handful of fresh herbs. The quantities are fluid -- more or less of any of the fruits and vegetables works just as well. Sometimes we substitute olives for the pomegranate, or fennel for the celery. It just depends on what’s in the fridge.Toasting the stale bread adds flavor and means it retains a bit of crunch, even while soaking up a generous dose of juice. —Ann S

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Ann S lives in the Bay Area and loves cookbooks and tea.
WHAT: A bright, citrusy take on the classic panzanella.
HOW: Toast your stale bread, roast your beets, then combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Serve proudly.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is everything you want out of a salad in the winter: the softened-but-still-crusty bite of bread, the pop of citrus, the salty tang of feta, the sweetness of the beets and pomegranate. We'll be eating bowls and bowls of this until the weather gets warm again. —The Editors

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• 4 cups1/2-inch bread cubes, cut from stale baguette or similar bread
  
• ¹/₄ cupextra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting beets and toasting bread
  
• 2 medium purple beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  
• 1 ¹/₂ tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
  
• 3 tablespoonsfresh orange juice
  
• ¹/₄ teaspoonminced garlic
  
• Salt
  
• 2 large oranges
  
• 2 cupsleafy greens such as romaine, escarole, or butter lettuce, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
  
• 2 cupsarugula, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
  
• ¹/₂ cupflat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  
• ¹/₂ cupmixed herbs such as cilantro, chives, and dill, roughly chopped
  
• ¹/₂ cupdiced celery
  
• 1 tablespoonbottled capers, drained
  
• 2 ouncesfeta cheese, cut into small cubes
  
• ¹/₃ cuppomegranate seeds