Nothing ho-hum about Salmon Panzanella

In the most perfect of all worlds, things look as good as they taste. That’s true with this dish.

In the most perfect of all worlds, things look as good as they taste. That’s true with this dish. Pink salmon, bright tomatoes (grab multicolored ones if that’s an option), flecks of purpley onion, pale chunks of toasty bread and a drizzle of bright green basil oil — a virtual rainbow.

And matching the array of colors is a variety of textures: soft and tender (salmon), juicy and firm (tomatoes), crispy-chewy (chunks of toasted bread). There is nothing ho-hum about this salad.

While we’re talking about the most perfect of worlds, if you can serve this dish slightly warm, with the salmon recently emerged from the oven, you will be in for another level of sensory happiness.

This is the kind of one-bowl lunch or dinner that is pure summertime happiness. If you can figure out a way to enjoy it outside, all the better.

Make the basil oil up to a couple of days ahead and store it in a container in the fridge.

You’ll have some extra from this recipe: Drizzle it over sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella later in the week. And if the basil oil is one step too many, skip it — add an extra drizzle of plain olive oil at the end, and some slivered fresh basil leaves. Still beautiful, still delicious.

LUCY BENI VIA AP Salmon panzanella