Warm Mushroom and Roasted Fennel Arugula Bread Salad Recipe
This Warm Mushroom and Roasted Fennel Arugula Bread Salad is our twist on the classic panzanella, where we swap out the traditional tomatoes and cucumbers for wild mushrooms and fennel. It’s a perfect make ahead salad - the longer it sits gives the flavors time to blend together nicely.
Servings: 3 hearty servings
Ingredients
- 4 ounces ciabatta or baguette cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 12 ounces wild mushrooms- any combination of like trumpet baby bella, , portabella, lions main, black pearl, oyster, black popular, and chestnuts, rinsed and sliced into ¼ inch slices.
- 1 small fennel bulbs thinly sliced on a mandolin, plus 1 tablespoons chopped fronds
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar champagne or white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ Tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon parsley chopped
- 2 ounces goat cheese plain or goat and herb.
- 7 ounces can cannellini beans (half of a 15 ounce can), great northern beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 ounces any combination of argula friscee or spinach salad greens, about 1 cup per serving.
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chives minced
Dijon Vinaigrette:
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 425 degrees. Toss bread cubes with 2 Tablespoons olive oil on rimmed baking sheet. Spread bread cubes on pan and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, shaking pan halfway through to prevent bread from sticking. Remove from oven and cool completely. (Bread cubes can be stored in zipper-lock bag for one or two days.)
- While toasting the bread cubes, toss the mushrooms, half of the fennel with ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining ⅛ cup oil and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set along-side bread cubes baking sheet in the oven to roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Transfer the remaining raw fennel to a large bowl. Add garlic, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, oregano or thyme, fennel fonds, ¼ teaspoon salt and the red-pepper flakes if using. Toss to coat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, honey, the mustards, pinch of salt and some black pepper to taste. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until the mixture is thickened.
- Add warm mushrooms and fennel, parsley and goat cheese to the raw fennel mixture and toss well. The warm mushrooms will melt the goat cheese making a creamy dressing. Now, add bread cubes and beans. Toss the salad with the Dijon vinaigrette. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving. When ready to serve, add arugula, greens and chives. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar and salt, if needed.