Use the best possible ingredients in this simple cialledda recipe for a flavourful Pulgliese tomato and bread salad
Words and photo © Mario Matassa
I was searching for a salad to make with fresh, seasonal tomatoes and my friend Enrico from Tuscany said that the obvious choice was panzanella, the Tuscan bread salad.
Stefano, my builder friend from Puglia, laughed and then suggested cialledda, a bread and tomato salad from his home region.
He explained the cialledda recipe to me and frankly I couldn’t tell you the difference between the two.
Given the regionality of Italian cuisine, this happens often. While the two of them were arguing about the various merits of each other’s recipe, I quietly slipped out the back door.
There’s no real right and wrong when it comes to these matters. Bread and tomatoes are ubiquitous in Italy and I’m sure every region has its own take.
Tip: The success of this cialledda recipe will hang on the quality of the tomatoes and the bread. Artisanal bread baked with no added ingredients will go stale in a nicer way than ultra-processed supermarket-bought bread.
Pugliese tomato and bread salad | Cialledda
➤ SERVES: 4
➤ PREPARATION: 20 minutes
➤ COOKING: None
➤ VEGAN
Ingredients:
- 400g stale bread (country or ciabatta)
- 1 large red onion
- 300g best quality tomatoes (cherry or plum tomatoes are ideal)
- 1 medium-sized cucumber
- dried oregano
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt
Method:
- Slice the bread and cut into cubes. In a large bowl add about 5 or 6 tablespoons of water and then add the bread. Toss it around and allow to soften for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, wash and roughly chop the tomatoes. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds. You can peel, or partially peel it, as preferred. Peel the onion, cut in half and slice very thinly.
- Once the bread has softened, add the vegetables. Season well with sea salt, lots of oregano and a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Gently toss everything together. You can serve the salad immediately, but it’s generally better to allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. This allows time for the bread to soak up all the flavours.
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