~Amanda~
One of my all-time favorite things to do is research new recipes and foods. I subscribe to numerous food magazines, I am completely obsessed with Pinterest, and I am always looking at other food blogs for inspiration. I have an ongoing resolution to try at least one new meal or recipe every week, or at least every other week, because sometimes life is just too crazy. One of my favorite blogs to look at is Naturally Ella and when I stumbled across this recipe for a panzanella salad with a twist, I was intrigued and had to make it. And I was not disappointed; it took the traditional panzanella salad to the next level with a very unique flavor profile highlighted with toasted rosemary cornbread cubes, roasted vegetables, Gorgonzola cheese, and an amazing maple mustard vinaigrette.
Panzanella salad is a Tuscan salad that’s popular in the summertime and is traditionally made of bread and tomatoes (and sometimes cucumber) and topped with a vinaigrette. The idea is that the bread (usually stale bread) soaks up the tomato juices and vinaigrette to make it moist and full of flavor. Many people will say that a panzanella salad is made for people who hate salads, because it’s really not a salad, mostly just bread…YUM! These days, panzanella salads are common all over the world, and they’re not so traditional anymore. Panzanella salads today have bread (lots of it), some sort of vegetable, and a vinaigrette as the main ingredients, but they can be prepared in so many different ways.
This recipe is for a winter style panzanella salad, and it is perfect for this time of year because rather than using the traditional bread and cold tomatoes, you use cornbread and roasted winter vegetables. It’s warm and comforting and the perfect meal on a cold night. The cornbread is what initially caught my attention as it’s naturally gluten free so I could actually make the recipe without any modifications. To make it you first drizzle the cornbread cubes with olive oil and sprinkle them with rosemary and toast in the oven. Next, roast the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red onion, and zucchini (all of my favorite vegetables) in the oven. Then put all of this deliciousness on top of some nice, healthy spinach and kale and top with Gorgonzola cheese and your homemade maple mustard vinaigrette, which is absolutely divine. The combination of flavors and texture is absolutely incredible and so unique. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 cup Brussel's sprouts, halved
- 1/2 large red onion, cubed
- 1 large zucchini, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup fresh kale, torn into smaller pieces
- 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake cornbread according to package instructions and cool. Once cool, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and rosemary and toss to combine. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until toasted and slightly golden.
- Toss sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red onion, and zucchini with salt, pepper, cayenne, and olive oil in a bowl then spread on a baking sheet. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway, until vegetables are tender and begin to brown.
- While vegetables are roasting make the dressing by mixing all ingredients together in a bowl with a fork until combined.
- To serve; place spinach and kale in a bowl, top with cornbread, roasted vegetables, and gorgonzola cheese. Then drizzle the dressing over top. Enjoy!
- *If you want to add a protein to the dish, I would recommend some roasted chicken or salmon.
