Panzanella Salad

The Ingredients and Substitutes

• Tomatoes: This Panzanella salad is the perfect summer salad to take advantage of in-season, ripe tomatoes. Choose the best you can find in your budget (like vine-ripened tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes), though regular cherry/grape tomatoes work too.
• Cucumber: Persian or English cucumbers work best for salads. They’re low-seed varieties with a thin peel.

If you have to use regular garden cucumber, it’s best to peel it. You can also slice it in half and scoop out the fleshy, seedy part if it’s very seedy.

• Shallot: Traditionally, Panzanella uses Tropea onions, but we’ve used a mild shallot. Red onion will also work.
• Bread: It’s traditional to use day-old, slightly stale crusty bread, like country bread, sourdough, or ciabatta. However, this time, we used old pita bread.
• Italian parsley: (optional) or some fresh basil, to garnish.
• Dressing: This summer panzanella recipe shines with a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar (or red/white wine vinegar), and salt and black pepper (to taste).

What Else Could I Add?

There are several ways to adapt this panzanella recipe based on what you have in your kitchen.

• Garlic: A small amount, minced or powdered, can be added to the dressing.
• Mustard: Another optional ingredient for the dressing. Just ¼-½ tsp will do.
• Avocado: For creamy texture and extra healthy fats, add diced avocado.
• Olives: For a briny, tangy flavor, use green, black, or an olive mixture. Capers will also work but are more costly.
• Vegetables: Add extra color, flavor, and/or texture with finely diced bell pepper, shredded carrot, corn, zucchini, green beans, or celery.
• Chickpeas: To add protein to the salad, for more of a complete meal.
• Lettuce: For more of a green salad, toss the other ingredients with leafy greens like shredded iceberg lettuce, other lettuce types, arugula, or spinach.

How to Make Panzanella Salad

There are three ways to prepare this simple bread salad recipe. First up, with regular day-old bread/pita. Second, toasting the bread for extra crispiness. Third, soak the toasted bread to marinate it.

• 1) First, rinse and chop the tomatoes and cucumber, and thinly slice the shallot. Also, dice the pita (or bread) into bite-sized pieces (½-¾ inch pieces).
• 2) Transfer all the ingredients to a mixing/serving bowl and drizzle over the olive oil and vinegar. Toss well, then season to taste.

• 3) Finally, garnish with fresh Italian parsley (or basil) if using.

You can enjoy the summer panzanella immediately, but leaving the flavors to blend for 30 minutes will taste even better.

To Toast The Bread

Many traditional panzanella recipes toast the bread, so it’s crisp outside and chewy inside (or, in the case of pita, until crisp) – and won’t become soggy too quickly.

To bake it, spread the bread across a baking tray and spray/brush with a little oil. Bake at 350ºF/180ºC until lightly toasted (about 8-13 minutes).

Alternatively, pan-fry the bread with a little oil, tossing frequently. Allow it to cool before adding it to the salad.

To Soak The Bread

While toasting the bread, lightly salt (about ½ tsp) the chopped tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, leaving them to sit for 15 minutes to release excess liquid.

Combine that liquid with the dressing, toss the bread in a portion of the dressing, and leave it to sit for several minutes before tossing it into the salad.

Serving Recommendations

We love enjoying this fresh and bright Tuscan bread salad during the warm summer months, making the most of the ripe tomatoes. Enjoy it as a side dish or main at BBQs, picnics, potlucks, and as a last-minute delicious lunch or dinner.

Make it more of a meal by pairing it with a plant protein, like tofu/tempeh kabobs, vegan brisket, tofu steak, or something hearty like a baked potato, eggplant stacks, or pasta.

Storage Instructions

Once assembled, panzanella doesn’t store particularly well, as the bread will become soggy after a couple of hours. To spread the salad over 2-3 days, only add the bread just before serving.