I came up with this salad idea when I was thinking about panzanella recently, the Italian salad made with chunks of stale bread. It’s got lots of tomatoes, and my tomatoes and going strong this summer.

There are probably hundreds of versions around the world for salads utilizing leftover bread. It’s a very “peasant” thing to do.

I decided to make panzanella-inspired salad with Southwestern ingredients and flavors, and my mind went to cornbread for the bread element. Cornbread really takes to Southwestern flavors with the addition of chile peppers or spices.

I worked really hard on Amazon trying to find a “healthy” cornbread mix. I should have just used cornmeal and made cornbread, but I was determined. The harder I looked, the worse these mixes became. Sometimes sugar was the first ingredient, and some didn’t even contain cornmeal. I ended up with a gluten-free mix, which I didn’t care about, but at least the ingredients aren’t terrible.

It’s from Bob’s Red Mill. The recipe is straight forward, made for a 9 x 9” pan. Instead, I used a 13” x 9” pan in order to get the cornbread thinner. I want fairly small, crouton-size cubes of cornbread that I will dry out before using in the salad.

Ever since I listened to an NPR show about Bob Moore from Bob’s Red Mill, I want to be supportive of his products. He started the company in 1978, based in Portland, Oregon. In 2010, at 81 years old, Bob turned the company over to his more than 200 employees through an Employee Stock Option Plan, basically transferring the ownership of the company to them. He said “it was the right thing to do.”

Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Cornbread:
1 – 20 ounce cornbread mix
3 tablespoons adobo mix or a mix of paprika, oregano, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder

Salad:
2 cans black beans, well drained
Cherry tomatoes, sliced, or any ripe tomatoes, chopped and seeds removed
2-3 cobs of corn, cooked
Smoked mozzarella, or cheese of choice

Optional ingredients:
Raw zucchini
Bell peppers
Avocado
Mango
Anything you want

Dressing:
Juice of 8 limes
1/3 cup olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt

For serving:
Sliced jalapeños
Cilantro leaves, or chopped fresh oregano
Toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds

Make the cornbread with the seasoning according to package directions. As I mentioned, I used a larger pan and baked the cornbread for 20 minutes instead of 25 minutes.

Let cool completely. Turnover on board and cut into 1 x 1” cubes. Place on a rack and let dry out overnight. See the hole in the middle? That’s why I dislike baking. Fortunately I had enough cornbread for my croutons.

To cook the corn, I highly recommend the method I learned when I made Melissa Clark’s Corn and Tomato Salad with Tapenade. Microwave the three ears in their husks, wrapped in a dish towel, for 5 minutes on high. Remove and let cool before removing the husks and silk. Note that they come off in one piece. It’s miraculous!

For the salad, combine your main ingredients in a serving bowl.

I am using smoked mozzarella that I get from Murray’s Cheese. It’s really amazing on white pizza.

Make the dressing using a small blender.

Add the dressing to the salad in layers, in order to tuck some croutons in the middle of the salad. Add some dressing, toss gently, then add the remaining salad and dressing. Toss again.

Finish the salad with toasted pine nuts, cilantro leaves, and sliced jalapenos.

The croutons were okay. I honestly don’t ever get croutons on salads, but I wanted to make something different. They were very crumbly and dry, most likely because they were gluten free. Next time I’ll just make cornbread from scratch, or use cubes of polenta!