How long it takes: 40 minutes (includes time to make the croutons) Equipment you’ll need: rimmed baking sheet, mixing bowls Servings: 6 Red, white, and green reminds me of caprese and bruschetta. This caprese pasta salad and caprese couscous stuffed tomatoes are perfect for summer entertaining. Serve hot caprese dip at your next party and everyone will be asking for the recipe. Classic tomato bruschetta is a perfect red, white, and green appetizer and I love my mother-in-law’s roasted tomato and ricotta crostini. Add Tuscan panzanella salad to your list of must-have summer recipes. It’s a bread salad! Do I have your attention? Everyone loves bread, right? How about chunks of crusty bread, soaked with the the juices of red tomatoes and a tasty vinaigrette, with lots of green basil and red onion. Simple, and simply delicious!
What Is Panzanella?
In Italian, “pane” means bread, and “zanella” means deep plate or bowl. Panzanella is bread in a bowl, along with lots of other yummy things! In its simplest form, panzanella is made from stale bread that’s been soaked in water and squeezed dry, chopped onions, with a dressing of olive oil and vinegar. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil are often added. Is panzanella a main dish? This salad is hearty and makes a light main dish. It’s often served with grilled meat.
panzanella Tips
Choose the right kind of bread for your salad. This is not the time for sandwich bread. Buy a good loaf of Italian or French bread, sturdy, crusty, and with lots of holes inside. If it feels a little hard, that’s okay. Day old bread is perfect. Prep the bread ahead. I’ve been making homemade croutons using slightly stale bread for ages. Once you try them, you won’t ever go back to store bought croutons. The process is the same for panzanella. The bread can be toasted ahead of time or right before you make the salad. By the way, air fryer croutons are an amazing time-saver and you won’t have to turn the oven on. Make the easy vinaigrette dressing. Make the homemade vinaigrette before you get started on the rest of the salad; in fact, you can make it a couple of days ahead of time and refrigerate it. The ingredients are simple: white wine vinegar, good olive oil, a bit of garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or wait 30 minutes. Mix the croutons, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and fresh herbs in a big bowl and add the dressing, tossing well. You can serve the panzanella immediately or wait thirty minutes to let the dressing soak into the bread. Your choice!
Serving Suggestions
Panzanella salad is a healthy salad that is hearty and satisfying. Since it contains bread and vegetables, all you really need to round out your meal is protein. Try grilled meat like salmon, chicken, shrimp, or steak. That’s all you need for a delightful summer dinner! Don’t forget a glass of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or a cool dry Rosé! For a real taste of Italy, try a refreshing Aperol spritz, with Aperol, prosecco, and club soda. A white wine spritzer or red wine spritzer goes well, too.
Recipe Variations
Bread options: Some recipes skip toasting the bread. Others like soaking the bread in water, or a vinegar/water mixture, and squeezing it dry. If that’s what you prefer, go for it. I like the flavor that toasting adds to the bread. Substitute a store-bought vinaigrette. Look for a white wine vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, or Italian dressing. I have to say, though, that homemade is really easy and tastes tons better. Include more veggies. Almost any fresh garden vegetable can be added. Some recipes include bell peppers. Other good choices are tender zucchini, sliced radishes, and so on. Add protein. If you want to make panzanella a main dish, add fresh mozzarella, feta cheese, cubed sharp provolone, or canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed). You could also add grilled chicken. Make it for two: You can easily cut the recipe back to two servings. If it’s easier, make a whole batch of the dressing and refrigerate what you don’t use. It’s great on lots of different salads. More bread salad recipes: Asparagus panzanella is great in the spring when ripe tomatoes are still a pleasure to look forward to. Fattoush salad is a bread salad from the Middle East and gazpacho salad has more of a Spanish influence. We also love this chicken Caesar pasta salad that is topped with lots of croutons.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Prepare the components of the panzanella ahead of time. Make the croutons and, after cooling thoroughly, store in a tightly covered container for up to a week. Make the vinaigrette a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temp before using and shake well.
Storage Tips
If there is leftover salad, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for a day. The bread in the salad will be a little softer, possibly a bit mushy, but the taste will be great.