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A bread salad? Count me in! Panzanella is the perfect way to turn stale bread (or fresh bread) into a vibrant salad packed with flavor.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
Panzanella is a rustic Tuscan salad with cubes of stale bread, ripe tomatoes, olive oil, and vinegar.
- Flavor: The bread soaks up the vinaigrette and juices, capturing Italy’s fresh, vibrant flavors—one of my favorite places I’ve traveled.
- Technique: Tear the bread into pieces instead of cutting it into cubes. Tearing adds more texture, and the craggy pieces brown beautifully in the oven.
- Ingredient Tip: When adding raw onion to salads, I cut it first and let it soak in a bowl of cold salt water. This removes a bit of the ‘bite’ and makes it milder.
- Prep Note: Once prepared, toss the salad and let it rest so the bread has time to soak in the dressing.
- Time-Saving Tip: If you’re short on time, toss the toasted bread with a pre-made Greek salad, including the dressing.
Ingredient Tips for Panzanella Salad
- Bread: You can use any dry-ish bread you have on hand. My favorite bread for Panzanella is either Ciabatta bread or sourdough. Homemade croutons work too.
- Veggies: Juicy ripe tomatoes are traditional. You’ll see a variety of vegetables added to this salad. However, I keep it simple with cucumbers and red onions.
- Herbs: Fresh basil and/or parsley add lots of flavor.
- Dressing: The quick Dijon vinaigrette is packed with flavor.
How to Make Panzanella
A fresh Italian salad is magical, and this one is no exception—plus it’s easy to make!
- Toast Bread: Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and toss with olive oil on a baking sheet. Bake until slightly dried.
- Mix Dressing: In a large bowl, mix the dressing in the recipe below.
- Cut Vegetables: While the bread is baking, prepare the vegetables.
- Toss & Enjoy: Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Gently toss.
Fresh Summer Salads
Did you make this Panzanella Salad? Leave a rating and comment below!
Panzanella Salad
Panzanella salad is a fresh and hearty mix of toasted ciabatta, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and red onion, all tossed in a tangy homemade vinaigrette and topped with fresh herbs.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ciabatta bread about 5 cups
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes any variety, cut into ½-inch wedges, about 5 to 6 medium
- ½ English cucumber sliced into half moons
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and/or basil
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces.
- Place the bread on a large baking sheet and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste), and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, and parsley. Add the bread and toss well. Let rest for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Top with additional parsley, basil, and salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
- Tear the bread rather than cutting it, this will create more nooks and crannies and a better salad!
- Be sure to allow the salad to sit, tossing occasionally so the bread can soak up the dressing.
- Optional additions include cheese, capers, or olives.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 253 | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
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How far in advance can this be made?
To keep the bread from getting soggy we recommend making just before serving. You do want to let it rest for 15 minutes before serving though.
This delicious and easy to make panzanella salad recipe looks really amazing. One of the best ever panzanella salad recipe i have ever tried. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us.
At what temp do you bake your bread at?
I found it, can’t wait to make my garden will give plenty to make this for months.
Enjoy Kimberly!!
This is so good, my whole family loves it. Such an easy dish to make.
So happy to hear that Tina!