Bread Salad with Basil, Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

This is a delicious bread salad.  It's light and refreshing and perfect for summer!!!

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2' slices of ciabatta or other chewy Italian bread
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 15 fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 lb small fresh mozzarella balls
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 
• black pepper

Directions:

• Tear the bread 1" pieces, drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt, toss together, spread out on a baking sheet and place in a  re-heated 400F oven until golden and crunchy, about 8-10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
• Blanch the basil and lemon zest in boiling water for about 5 seconds to soften. Drain, place in a blender or food processor with the lemon juice and pulse a few times.
• Slowly add the remaining 3 Tbsp of oil and process until mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides part way through.
• In a bowl toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella and bread cubes with the dressing and let stand 15 - 20 minutes.
• Season with a little salt and pepper to serve.