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Panzanella salad is THE salad of this summer. This bread salad combines juicy tomatoes, onion, and bread (or pita) with a simple vinaigrette and fresh herbs for a super fresh & delicious, crowd-pleasing summer salad! Plus, it’s ready in just 5 minutes!

completed Panzanella Salad plated against a white surface

When the weather is warm and tomatoes are in season (aka super ripe and juicy!), this Panzanella salad recipe is a must-try. With just a handful of simple and fresh ingredients, this tomato bread salad comes together quickly.

Combined with a simple olive oil vinaigrette, it’s a fresh, bright, aromatic, zingy, and surprisingly complex summery side or main you’ll want to throw together every week when you’re not busy making tofu caprese, stuffed tomatoes, and/or roasted tomatoes.

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What is Panzanella Salad?

Panzanella salad — or Panmolle – is thought to be named after Pane (bread in Italian) and Zanella (meaning a deep plate) and is an Umbrian and Tuscan-style tomato and bread salad.

This bread salad was traditionally made with tomatoes, onion, and water-soaked stale bread, designed to bring new life to the bread (like gazpacho or bread pudding). However, there are several modern variations with additional ingredients like cucumber, basil, and a simple olive oil vinaigrette.

For our version, we’ve taken a few creative liberties. For example, we often turn to pita instead of bread. We’ve also discovered we like the results whether the bread is raw, toasted, or soaked—leaving it up to you to decide which texture you prefer.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

ingredients for Panzanella Salad measured out against a white surface
  • 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.

Top Recipe Tips

  • Use the best bread: Though this tomato bread salad was originally designed for stale bread, unless you plan to soak it, it works better with slightly dry bread (not overly stale) for the best texture.
  • If the bread is very stale: Stale bread becomes tough. However, sprinkling it with water before baking helps steam it to soften the middle, so it isn’t overly tough.
  • Use ripe, in-season produce: This bread salad recipe only contains a few ingredients, so use the freshest, best produce you can.
  • Don’t cut the bread/pita too big: That way, you get a little of everything in every forkful.
  • Leave it to rest: 30 minutes is ideal to allow all the flavors to blend.
completed Panzanella Salad plated on two plates against a white surface

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.

More Simple Salad Recipes

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

completed Panzanella Salad plated on two plates against a white surface

Pita Panzanella Salad

5 from 52 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Panzanella salad is THE salad of this summer. This bread salad combines juicy tomatoes, onion, and bread (or pita) with a simple vinaigrette and fresh herbs for a super fresh & delicious, crowd-pleasing summer salad! Plus, it's ready in just 5 minutes!

Ingredients 

  • 2 medium tomatoes cored and sliced into wedges
  • ½ of an English cucumber cubed
  • 1 shallot sliced thinly
  • 2 pitas cubed
  • Olive oil to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Italian parsley chopped (optional)

Instructions 

  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and pitas.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.
  • Divide into serving dishes and optionally garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

  • If the bread is very stale: Stale bread becomes tough. However, sprinkling it with water before baking helps steam it to soften the middle, so it isn’t overly tough.
  • Use ripe, in-season produce: This bread salad recipe only contains a few ingredients, so use the freshest, best produce you can.
  • Don’t cut the bread/pita too big: That way, you get a little of everything in every forkful.
  • Leave it to rest: 30 minutes is ideal to allow all the flavors to blend.

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 176mgPotassium: 241mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 531IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Honor
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Method: Mixing
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Honor

Loves baking, gardening and preparing delicious, compassionate meals for her vegan family of four.

More about Honor

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