I spent 15 minutes tearing through every back issue of cooking magazine I could find looking for this recipe. Guess where it was? On the kitchen counter. Figures.

Although I decamped from the land of vegetarians some time ago, I don’t have anything against them. Except that they don’t eat bacon. This is a great recipe that I have made about half a dozen times now. And even though it doesn’t have any bacon, it is still pretty damn good.

Moroccan Bread Salad

from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine, April 2008

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (separated into 1/4 cup portions)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
One 1-pound peasant loaf, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt & Pepper
4 ribs celery with leaves, sliced
1 can chickpeas, drained
4 oz jarlsberg cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the garlic and cumin. Add the bread and toss; season with salt and pepper. Scatter on a baking sheet and bake, tossing occassionally, until toasted.

In the same bowl, mix the celery, chickpeas, jarlsberg, almonds, vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the bread and toss. Let stand for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.

My notes: I am very flexible with the ingredients and have taken liberties adding yellow bell pepper, golden raisins and/or switching up the type of cheese (but haven’t yet added bacon). I like this salad also because even after a couple of days in the fridge, it maintains its flavor and doesn’t get soggy.