Panzanella Salad - Classic Italian Bread and Tomato Salad
Panzanella Salad is a classic Italian dish that makes use of stale bread and fresh summer vegetables. It’s light, refreshing, and packed with flavor. Traditionally, Panzanella combines ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and chunks of bread soaked in olive oil and vinegar. This dish is perfect for summer meals, when tomatoes are at their ripest. It’s easy to prepare, with no cooking required, making it a great option for a quick lunch or a side dish at dinner. Plus, it’s customizable — feel free to add your favorite vegetables or even some cheese for a heartier version.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of stale bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup of fresh basil leaves, torn
- ⅓ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Prep the vegetables. Start by chopping the tomatoes and cucumber. Thinly slice the red onion and tear the fresh basil leaves. Set these aside in a large salad bowl.
Prepare the bread. Cut your stale bread into 1-inch cubes. If your bread is not stale, toast the cubes in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes, until they are dry but not overly crispy.
Combine the ingredients. Add the bread cubes to the salad bowl with the vegetables and basil.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything gently until the bread starts to absorb the dressing and juices from the vegetables.
Let it sit. Allow the salad to sit for about 10 minutes before serving, so the bread soaks up all the flavors.
Recipe tips
Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. The juicier they are, the better the salad will taste. For extra flavor, try adding a handful of capers or some crumbled feta cheese. If you don’t have stale bread, lightly toasting fresh bread will still give you that chewy texture. To intensify the flavors, let the salad sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
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