Spring Panzanella Salad

Spring panzanella salad with asparagus, peas, prosciutto, and a tangy lemony-garlic dressing. Bonus: this salad only takes 30 minutes and one pan!

I have officially made the spring-iest salad ever, so I’m pretty sure I’m ready for an herb garden. I don’t know why this equates in my brain, but it does. Up until now, I’ve killed almost every plant I have ever bought, and herbs are no exception. But last year I managed to keep a basil plant alive all summer so things are looking up! My original goal was to plant them from seeds, but after doing some research, I think it would be best to start with actual plants. If all goes well this year, I might try seedlings next year… Marc says when we eventually buy a house, he wants to start gardening hardcore. So with him around, maybe herbs stand a chance, we’ll see!

However, I have considered trying to plant maybe a veggie or two just to get the hang of it. Since I have a new *thing* for the idea of gardening, I have naturally been filling my Pinterest page with gardening ideas and have come to the conclusion that I can probably at least keep some carrots alive. Also, I have learned a few things. 1. I need a pair of long overalls to be a pure gardener. (Tbh, I already have at least a couple pairs of shorteralls but it’s not the same). 2. I’m obsessed with DIY garden boxes. And 3. Bell the greyhound loves vegetables and digging. So the vegetable garden might not last long, but we will give it our best effort.

At the very least, there’s always the herbs!!

While we’re on the subject of vegetables, let’s talk about this spring panzanella salad. For starters, it has prosciutto. Which is like, savory sprinkles in the best way possible. And of course, there are lots of spring veggies in there including asparagus, peas, chives, and greens! Honestly, one of the things that makes me happiest in life is when I walk into the grocery store after a long winter and beautiful, long stocks of asparagus are on sale for $0.99. What a world.

Obviously, we need to talk about the lemon-garlic dressing on the spring panzanella salad, which is the most simple, delicious salad dressing probably ever. In a real way, I think I could eat it on any vegetable or anything in general. And it’s only five ingredients! I like to make big batches and serve it on all vegetables because sometimes I *pretend* to be a meal-prepper.

Lastly, can we talk about how I actually posted this spring panzanella salad before Easter?! I 100% believe this is the best Easter vegetable side dish ever. And since we know I have a bad track record with posting holiday recipes on time, I’m v proud of myself for getting it up prior to the actual holiday, can I get an applause?

Ok, that’s all I really have for you today. Soooo happy Easter! And if you want to follow along on the herb adventures Marc and I will be partaking in this weekend (not what you’re thinking), I’ll probably detail them in my Insta stories, see you there!

Spring Panzanella Salad

5 from 1 vote

Spring Panzanella Salad

Yield: 4 salads (as a meal)

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

This is the best 30-minute, one pan meal to eat in the Spring! My favorite way to serve this salad is with a runny egg for a quick weeknight meal, and it's also amazing as a side dish with pork or beef. You can prep most of the ingredients ahead of time and throw it all together right before serving, so it's totally easy for picnics or BBQs!

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Ingredients

For the salad…

• 4 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cup day-old country bread, cubed (I usually use whole wheat for extra nuttiness!)
• 1 lb asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup green peas
• 2 cup greens (baby romaine, spinach, curly endive, etc.)
• 2 tbsp chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
• 4 eggs, hardboiled or poached
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing…

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash Tobasco sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Pepper, to taste

Instructions 

• In a large saute pan, cook the prosciutto over medium heat until it’s crispy. Remove the prosciutto from the pan, and let it drain on paper towels.
• Heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil in the same pan and add the bread cubes. Cook, stirring frequently until they are a nice golden brown. (Add more oil 1 Tbs. at a time if necessary). Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
• Heat another 1 Tbs. of olive oil in the same pan and add the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is crisp-tender and the outsides are lightly charred in some places. Add the peas and toss until warm. Place the veggies to the bowl with the bread cubes, and let it cool slightly. Wipe out the saute pan, and add the pepitas. Stir frequently until they are lightly toasted. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Tobasco sauce, lemon juice, and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
• When the bread-veggie mixture has cooled a bit, add the greens and chives. Toss the salad with the dressing and mix to coat well. Garnish with pepitas, Parmesan, and eggs! (For a side, I use sliced hardboiled eggs. For a main meal, I serve large portions of the salad with a runny, poached egg).

Notes

If I’m making this as a side dish, I use hard-boiled eggs but for a main meal, I poach the eggs!

This will serve 4 as a meal, 6 as a side.

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka

Serving: 0.25of salad, Calories: 393kcal, Carbohydrates: 20.4g, Protein: 23.3g, Fat: 25.6g, Saturated Fat: 6.5g, Cholesterol: 189mg, Sodium: 571mg, Potassium: 564mg, Fiber: 5.5g, Sugar: 5.9g, Calcium: 213mg, Iron: 6mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @sundaytable.co on Instagram!

xo Sara Lynn

*Song of the day: Hannah Hunt by Vampire Weekend