Crunchy Bread Mix Salad

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Crunchy Bread Mix Salad with Basil Dressing. Usually, when the bread is left overnight, it turns hard and most people throw it away. That’s such a waste! There’s plenty of ways to reuse old bread and make it fresh, suitable for any meal.  I cut it up into cubes, roast it in a wok with olive oil, use it for the salad, or top it on soups. For this recipe, we did precisely that and added it into this delicious vegetable salad.

What made the bread taste even more flavorful is basil-flavored oil, and consequently, the sauce of the salad also has basil in it. Basil adds huge flavors to the dish and doesn’t shy away from making itself known, even if it’s just in flavored oil.

In India, they worship Holy Basil as a sacred plant for its healing properties and attributes. Basil has different uses in medicine in Southeast Asia and plays a different role in treating various illnesses in each country, such as eye diseases, ulcers, bronchitis, stomach issues, and skin issues such as eczema. People have used other from of basil to treat even snake bites. Basil, in general, reduces oxidative stress due to the number of antioxidants it contains. It even has an adaptogen, an anti-stress substance that helps reduce your anxiety.

In the olden days, Basil was used as a sacred and noble herb. In fact, its name is originated from the Greek word “Basilikhon,” which means noble or royal. Western history tells us that its origins are in Asia, India, and Africa. Today it is a well-loved herb and is used in plenty of recipes, especially the “Sweet Basil” variety, which is the most popular. Various variants of basil have different health benefits and medicinal properties.

So before thinking of throwing out that old bread, how about trying this recipe? You don’t want to let a good old loaf of bread go to waste, do you? Scroll further to learn how to make the recipe.

Print Recipe

Crunchy bread mix veggie salad

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of day old bread (or older, as long as it is still not expired)
• 6 large stems of basil (with leaves), mash ½ of the leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt plus a coarse pinch for garnish
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, using only small inner leaves
• 1 tsp whole rose pepper grinded
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup soft tofu cut into cubes
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 large red bell pepper cut into small squares
• 6 sundried tomatoes soaked in olive oil, chopped into small pieces

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 350º F / 180º C.

2

Cut the bread into 1/2−inch or 1.5 cm croutons. Place on a baking sheet or tray, place into the oven until cubes turn crunchy and dry, but not brown.

3

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the basil leaves well then add four tablespoons of oil. Continue crushing until it becomes a liquidy pulp, then add a quarter teaspoon of Himalayan salt and ground rose pepper thoroughly.

4

Strain the oil onto a skillet over medium heat; the oil will be greenish.

5

Add the dried croutons and toss consistently until the croutons turn golden brown and absorb all of the basil-flavored oil. Set aside.

6

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan and add soft tofu to cook for a minute.

7

Add the rest of the pulp that was leftover in the strainer (from the flavored oil) into the soft tofu with one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and mix until a smooth, creamy dressing forms. You can place this mixture in a blender for a smoother consistency.

8

Then, in a wok add three tablespoons of olive oil.

9

Add the red bell peppers and chopped sundried tomatoes and sauté over high heat for 3 minutes.

10

sprinkle some black pepper and the remaining Himalayan salt. Remove from the heat.

11

Toss in the rest of the basil leaves (removed from the stem) and add the lemon juice and Kikkoman soy sauce.

12

Add the croutons and toss well. Add some Parmesan cheese (optional). Serve on a salad plate and top with some more sauce.