Recipe: no-cook food: Herbed Pita Bread Salad

8 to 10 side-dish servings

Look for fresh-smoked mozzarella, which has a soft, creamy texture in addition to the smoky flavour. Leftover green beans, grilled asparagus or corn could also find a home in this salad. The salted tomatoes need to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The tomato mixture needs to sit for 5 minutes after the pita is added.

Ingredients

2 pints grape tomatoes, halved (use different colours for visual interest)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste

1/2 cup olive oil, or more to taste

1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini

2 whole-wheat pitas, left out overnight to go stale, then broken up into 1-inch pieces

1 large head Boston lettuce, cored, cut into 2-inch pieces, rinsed and spun dry

6 ounces smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

12 leaves basil, torn into large pieces

3 tablespoons chopped parsley, preferably flat-leaf

1. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, toss with the salt, and let them sit for 10 minutes to pull out their juices.

2. Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil in a medium bowl and add about 3/4 of it to the tomatoes along with the olives and pepperoncini. Toss to combine.

3. Add the pita, toss and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

4. Add the lettuce, mozzarella, basil and parsley; toss to thoroughly combine. Taste, and add more of the dressing mixture or salt as needed. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION Per serving (based on 10): 180 calories, 5 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugar