Roasted Mushroom Panzanella Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette – Recipe!

The holiday season is in rare form and a delicious Roasted Mushroom Panzanella Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette is delicously easy and delightful for mealtime during the week, or a holiday gathering.

Salads in the fall and winter months are slightly hardier and filled with spectacular ingredients like spinach, roasted mushrooms and fresh pomegranate seeds.  What makes this salad recipe so easy, is that you toast the bread cubes and roast the mushrooms at the same time in the oven, and then layer them on top of greens when they are cool.

The vinaigrette is a mixture of fresh pomegranate juice, Dijon mustard and olive oil — simple things made delicious when combined.  I served the dressing alongside the salad, so the bread cubes stay slightly crunchy longer and some remaining pomegranate seeds.  This salad can be an entree or a side dish and would be splendid on any holiday table.

Ingredients

1 pound small shiitake mushrooms, cleaned

1 1/2 cups rustic bread, cubed or torn

4 cups baby spinach leaves

1 fresh pomegranate, sliced in half

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon granuated sugar or honey

1/3 cup good olive oil + more for cooking

salt and pepper

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and bread cubes.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, toss.  Set aside.
2. In another skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mushrooms.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.  Place both pans in oven to toast for 20 minutes.  Remove and let cool for 8 minutes.
3. Squeeze half of pomegranate over a bowl and juice, about 1/4 cup.  Remove any seeds that may fall and place in separate bowl.
4. Using your fingers, scrape remaining seeds from pomegranate half and place in bowl with other seeds.  Save remaining pomegranate half for another recipe.
5. Add Dijon mustard, sugar, pinch of salt and pepper to pomegranate juice and whisk.  Drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil, while continuing to whisk until slightly thickened and creamy.  Set aside.
6. Add spinach to a bowl and top with toasted bread cubes and mushrooms.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds over top and serve remaining with salad along with vinaigrette.  Enjoy!