Heirloom tomatoes are king of the summer. There's nothing quite like the taste and texture of a perfectly ripe tomato. Take that and add a few of my favorite items for this delicious bread salad. A peppery arugula pesto is the flavor while the toasted bread brings the texture.
I could have stopped there but these types of salads often become my meals (like when I have leftovers of the salad on the night I'm frantically packing for vacation). When the bread is toasted well (dry throughout- crouton style), the bread will keep texture hours after the salad is assembled. It's a perfect picnic or lunch bread salad.
Greens: Swap the arugula for spinach or kale. You could also add greens to the salad and turn it into a more traditional salad. Lettuce would work great as a base for a salad like this.
Beans: Swap the chickpeas for white beans or possibly even black or French lentils.
Grains: If bread isn't your jam, swap it out for cooked grains. Heartier grains like farro, sorghum, or barley would work well.
Every time I end up at the market this time of year, I'm always drawn to all the varieties of tomatoes. It's peak time to snag fresh tomatoes and eat them for every meal. I always gravitate to the smaller tomatoes for use on salads but a big heirloom tomato makes a great addition to sandwiches.
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OH, yeah -- We are going to enjoy this meal !
When you mention bread in the ingredients, is that 1 1/2 Cups of pieces or 1 1/2 slices of bread (pieces) or is that all the same? Thank you for you and your food inspirations, Heidi and happy tomato season to all.
Hello! I used about 1 1/2 cups (I just updated to add 'cups').
Very pretty!
Can I use broken up pieces of dried crispbread?
Sure- the texture might not be the same but I think it would work.
I just made this recipe tonight. Delicious! The texture was amazing. I subbed spinach for arugula and almonds for walnuts. I skipped cooking the chickpeas (just used rinsed canned) and it was still great! I will definitely make again.