Food Recipes Eggplant Panzanella 3.6 (7) Add your rating & review A salad that's mostly croutons? Yes, please. By Ivy Odom Ivy Odom Ivy is an Editorial Producer for Dotdash Meredith, and hosts an array of lifestyle videos. She also authors a bi-monthly recipe column for Southern Living. Ivy has over four years of experience as on-camera talent across multiple platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, television, and other social channels, as well as extensive producing and editing experience for TikTok. Ivy earned a B.S.F.C.S. in Consumer Journalism and a B.A. in Spanish from The University of Georgia, and graduated first in her class from the culinary arts program at L'Academie de Cuisine. Ivy grew up in Moultrie, Georgia and now lives in Birmingham, Alabama, where it's a really fun place to be a Georgia Bulldawg. Highlights: * FOLIO Top Women in Media 2020, Up-And-Comer * New Achiever Award 2020, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences * Pacesetter Award 2019, University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences * Level One Certification, Court of Master Sommeliers Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 9, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Andrew Purcell Hands On Time: 25 mins Total Time: 40 mins Yield: 6 serves Jump to Nutrition Facts Panzanella is a traditional Italian salad that features cubes of deliciously toasty, grilled bread. The bread soaks up a bright, lemony vinaigrette and juices from cherry tomatoes. Meaty eggplant makes this panzanella hearty enough for dinner, while baby kale adds fresh crunch. But what ties all these elements together is a shower of shaved Manchego cheese and fragrant fresh dill. Make ahead tip: This dish can sit up to an hour in advance at room temperature. The bread gets softer as it soaks up the juices, so if you like soggier pieces, this is the move for you. Ingredients 2 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick planks 12 ounces day-old sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 9 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for grill grates 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 4 ounces baby kale (about 4 cups) 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved ¼ cup chopped fresh dill ⅔ ounce Manchego cheese, shaved (about ½ cup) Directions Preheat grill to medium (350 to 400°F) and lightly oil grates. Brush the eggplant and bread on both sides with 3 tablespoons oil, and then set the bread aside. Season eggplant on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and then grill eggplant, uncovered, flipping once, until soft and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Cut into ¾-inch pieces. While the eggplant cools, grill bread, uncovered, flipping once, until grill marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for about 10 minutes. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Whisk lemon juice, mustard, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in remaining 6 tablespoons oil. Place eggplant, bread, kale, tomatoes, dill, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl and then add dressing, tossing to coat. Top with cheese and serve. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 610 Calories 36g Fat 60g Carbs 14g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 610 % Daily Value * Total Fat 36g 46% Cholesterol 5mg 2% Sodium 1327mg 58% Total Carbohydrate 60g 22% Total Sugars 12g Protein 14g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.