Pizza Panzanella Salad {And Another Way To Use Pizza Dough}

Some people wait until Summer to enjoy Panzanella Salads which is the tradition in Southern Italy.  My husband and I enjoy eating them all year around.  In case you don't know about them, they are simply an Italian bread salad usually made with leftover stale bread.  Just like the Southerns who make Cornbread Salad with leftover cornbread.

I have made Panzanella Salad with French bread, but the other day, I was making a pizza, and had another batch of pizza dough thawed out, and needed to make something with it.  So I got the idea to cut it in strips, then in little croutons, and fry them in a little hot oil.   As soon as I took them out of the hot oil, I laid them out on a paper towel and sprinkled them with salt and garlic powder...my....my...these were so good.  We ate half of them before we could get our salad made. 

As you can see, they were just a little big.  So we cut them in half and some we quartered.  These pizza croutons were the perfect bread for the salad to soak up all the wonderful juices from the tangy vinaigrette dressing and tomatoes.  You will want to eat all of this Pizza Panzanella Salad up in one setting....it is not a leftover type salad.  So make just enough that you can do that. 

Pizza Panzanella Salad

1 cup fresh spinach
1 1/2 cup romaine lettuce, loosely chopped
1/2 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, diced in 1/2" cubes
1 seedless cucumber, sliced lengthwise and then in slices
1/2 red onion, julienne
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 lb. pizza dough
1 1/2-2 cups canola oil
salt
garlic powder
your favorite Greek or Italian dressing

In a medium bowl, toss spinach romaine lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, tomato, and feta cheese together; set aside.

Roll pizza dough on a slightly floured board. Cut strips 1" wide and then cut again 1" wide croutons. In medium skillet, heat 1" deep oil until hot. Drop croutons in oil; turn over and fry until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and drain on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Toss in prepared salad. Drizzle with your favorite Greek or Italian salad dressing and serve immediately.