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Pomegranate and Feta Panzanella Salad with Chive Oil Viniagrette

An herbaceous take on the classic Panzanella, with some added saltiness from the feta and sweet from the pomegranate.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 2 cups bread cubes cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 cup arugula packed
  • 1/4 cup mint chopped
  • 1/4 cup tarragon chopped
  • 1/2 English cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1/2 medium sized red onion sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds plus more for topping
  • 1 cup feta plus more for topping

Salad Dressing

  • 1/2 cup chive oil you can use regular extra virgin olive oil but I made fresh chive oil and used it here in the vinaigrette .
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the bread cubes on a baking or sheet tray and pop in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until slightly golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before combining with other salad ingredients.
  • Combine salad dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined.
  • Add the bread cubes to the remaining salad ingredients in a serving bowl. Top with additional feta and pomegranate seeds. Pour dressing over the salad and combine well.

To make the chive oil:

  • In a blender, combine 1 cup of chives with 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Process until no large visible chive chunks are seen, about 5 total minutes of blending. Remove and pour into a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and allow the liquid to drain out. You want to avoid anything other than the pure green olive oil to pass through. You will use 1/2 cup with this recipe, and the remaining 1/2 cup will go great on anything else in place of traditional "normal" olive oil.
    Chive oil is incredibly easy to make, and visually it will excite your guests due to the vibrant green color.

Notes

Traditionally this is an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type salad. It's a great way to get rid of miscellaneous veggies and herbs in your fridge and the ingredients can be easily substituted. Pomegranates are not available year-round here in Arizona and the season is quite short, so as soon as they start hitting the shelves, I buy them religiously on almost every trip to the grocery store.
While it's an easy salad to make, I would encourage you to try it with the chive oil in the vinaigrette. It's only 1 added step and the process will yield leftover oil to be used in other dishes. It really does add a different flavor to the overall salad and will impress your guests.
Keyword Herbs, Salad, vegetables