Panzanella Kebabs

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Photo: Lisa Hubbard
Servings:
8

These skewers of pearl onions, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, chicken, and chunks of bread are based on traditional panzanella -- an Italian bread salad -- but the ingredients are grilled to intensify their flavor.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 24 red pearl onions, peeled

  • 1 pound small zucchini, cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds

  • 2 orange or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

  • 24 cherry tomatoes

  • 10 ounces unsliced day-old white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

  1. In a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, oil, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and chopped herbs. Shake well to combine, and set the marinade aside.

  2. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Skewer the ingredients, pairing the chicken and onion together, the zucchini and pepper together, and the tomatoes and bread together. Brush the kebabs with reserved marinade.

  3. Grill chicken-and-onion skewers until chicken is cooked through and onions are tender, turning often, about 10 minutes. Cook zucchini-and-pepper skewers until vegetables are tender, turning often, about 7 minutes. Cook tomato-and-bread skewers until bread is toasted and tomatoes soften, turning often, about 5 minutes. Serve skewers at room temperature. Season with remaining salt.

Cook's Notes

You'll need 24 metal or wooden skewers; soak wooden ones 15 minutes in water before threading them.

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