Thursday, August 31, 2017

Grilled Bread Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese



This salad may be my favorite thing about grilling, and it's all because of the bread.

Charred bread - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and tossed with oil and balsamic. It's seriously the perfect bite. If you haven't grilled bread for salad before, you need to do it ASAP.


I first made this salad several years ago. It has changed a bit over the years so I am sharing this updated post.

When making this bread, you don't want soft, fresh bread. Buy day old bread, or buy your bread the day before. The best bread for this salad is day-old ciabatta bread. Slice it open down the middle, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and char it as little or as much as you want.


Once charred, you chop it into bite sized pieces and let it soak in an oil bath with cilantro and red onions for 15 minutes before finishing the salad.



At this point I guarantee you will be stealing pieces of the bread to eat!



The salad is finished with baby spinach, chopped tomatoes, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sea salt and black pepper.



Grilled Bread Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1/2 red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 c good olive oil plus more for brushing the bread
  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced open (see pics above)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 2 c baby spinach
  • 2 juicy red tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp blue cheese
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Directions
  • Pre-heat your grill
  • Put the onions and cilantro in a large bowl with the oil; let sit in the fridge while you prep the bread
  • Brush both sides of the bread with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place on the grill for 4-7 minutes per side, depending on how charred you want it. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the bread to the bowl with the oil/onions/cilantro and toss. Let sit 15 minutes.
  • Add the spinach, tomatoes, blue cheese, and balsamic vinegar. Toss. Adjust oil/vinegar/salt/pepper.
  • Serve immediately.