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Starring the produce of the season, this panzanella salad offers full yet fresh flavors. Tomatoes act as the base, giving a sweet taste. Cucumber and shallot add freshness while a homemade vinaigrette soaks into the crusty bread. Great for a side or a light meal, this classic is perfect for summer.
Why I Love This Panzanella Recipe.
In my opinion, nothing is better than a summer salad filled with crisp lettuce and vegetables at their peak ripeness, all dressed with a homemade dressing. But there are only so many salads you can make before you want something a little bit different. And that’s exactly where this panzanella salad comes into play! A traditional Tuscan dish, it was a way to use up leftover stale bread without wasting it.
If you’ve ever sliced a tomato, you know that tomatoes have a lot of juice. But this tomato juice was exactly the perfect way to soften day-old bread. By combining the bread with the sliced tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and more, the bread softened, making it all the more palatable.
The pairing of juicy tomatoes with crunchy bread cubes is at the heart of the panzanella recipe, but it’s actually an age-old embodiment of the idea that the simplest ingredients are sometimes the most delicious. This is my recipe for this dish, but you can make it your own with your own favorite summertime produce!
Panzanella Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this panzanella recipe:
- Tomatoes are at their peak ripeness during mid-to-late summer. Search for the freshest, most vibrantly-colored varieties that are colorful all the way to the center. You can mix and match the type of tomato used, as well as color, be it grape, cherry, heirloom, or traditional.
- Cucumber is a refreshing and cooling flavor that is ready for harvest during the summer. With its crisp texture, it’s super traditional for panzanella.
- Bread is one of the fundamental components of this recipe, and if you have day-old bread, you’re in luck. The bread used should be crusty in texture with a nice toughness to it.
- Shallot is a variation on the usual panzanella recipe. While onion is more traditional, I prefer the lighter flavor and texture of shallot. You could also change things up even further and use red onion if you choose.
- Fresh basil adds an herbal note to the salad and pairs well with tomatoes and cucumbers.
- Mozzarella cheese has a delightful creamy yet chewy texture that pairs beautifully with the rough texture of the crusty bread. Plus, the mild flavor of this cheese works really well with the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Dijon mustard works as an emulsifier for the dressing, which gets drizzled on top of the salad.
- Red pepper flakes add just a hint of spice to the dressing. If you don’t love spice, you can leave it out.
- Capers impart a bit of salty, briny flavor to the dressing that works as a juxtaposition to the richness of the olive oil.
- Garlic adds a bit of complexity to the salad dressing while balancing the other flavors in the dish.
- Red wine vinegar has a bit of sweet, fruit-forward flavor that makes the dressing so delicious. Plus, the color of the vinegar darkens the color of the dressing, which looks beautiful when poured over the salad.
- Honey adds just a bit of sweetness to the dressing.
- Olive oil is an essential component of the dressing as it adds richness and flavor. Make sure to use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor!
- Black pepper adds a bit of spice to the dressing.
- Kosher salt makes everything more flavorful and is a necessity in any panzanella recipe!
How to Make Panzanella
There are three simple steps to preparing this panzanella salad:
- Prepare the bread
- Create the vinaigrette
- Assemble the salad
Step 1: Prepare the bread. Cut the bread into large bite-sized pieces. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to evenly coat the bread. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place into a 375°F oven for 8 to 12 minutes until the croutons are toasted and golden.
Step 2: Create the vinaigrette. Dice the garlic and capers. Add to a small bowl. Add in honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, red pepper flake, kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Whisk together until combined.
Step 3: Assemble the salad. Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. Finely dice a shallot. Add all to the large bowl. Pour over the majority of the dressing, reserving a small portion. Toss the tomatoes, cucumbers, and shallot in the dressing. Place the bread cubes over the top, along with the fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. Pour over the remainder of the dressing.
Pro Tips for Success
- Use good-quality bread to make the bread cubes. Quality bread goes a long way and can make a big difference. Sourdough bread or a country boule works best for this panzanella recipe.
- Use in-season ripe tomatoes. They are the base of this dish, so they should be ripe to provide full flavor.
- Tearing in large pieces of basil is better than chopping into small pieces. If the pieces are chopped small, they can quickly turn brown.
Storage and Serving
To serve: While panzanella is usually the main dish, it can easily be served as a side dish or a side salad. Pair this recipe with grilled chicken or fish for a perfect summer combination!
To store: Any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 1 to 2 days. As the bread sits in the dressing and tomato juices, it will soak up the liquid and become increasingly soft. Thus, it is best if leftovers are consumed as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Truly, any type of tomato will work well in this recipe, but make sure to get ripe tomatoes. Since tomatoes are the base of this dish, you want them to have as much fresh flavor as possible. Search out heirloom, grape, or cherry varieties for something unique, or stick to the common Celebrity tomato.
Yellow or red onion can be used in place of shallot, but both will offer a bit more of an astringent flavor and texture than shallot.
Yes, in fact, the bread should have some time to soak in the tomato juices and dressing before being served. This way, the crusty texture of the bread will become a bit softer and easier to eat. That said, you do not want the bread to sit for too long in the juices, as it can start to become soggy. Thus, I recommend letting everything sit for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 2 hours (depending on the bread) before serving.
The tougher the bread, the better it will be for panzanella. Look for sourdough, ciabatta, a baguette, or any stale bread. In fact, you could even use my recipe for homemade croutons if you had some on hand!
Watch How to Make Panzanella
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
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Panzanella
Ingredients
- 6 cups 1-inch cubed crusty bread (sourdough or French country boule)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallot
- 2 lb (about 3-4) ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
- 1 hothouse cucumber sliced and cut into half-moons
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
For the vinaigrette
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp capers drained and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the bread. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and spread them evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Toast in the preheated oven until the cubes are golden and slightly crisp, 8-12 minutes.6 cups 1-inch cubed crusty bread (sourdough or French country boule), 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Make the vinaigrette. In a bowl, combine and whisk the garlic, capers, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp capers, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Prepare the salad. Place the prepared bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, shallot, and mozzarella cheese on a platter or bowl and mix them together. Drizzle the dressing over the salad then tear the leaves of basil on top. Serve immediately.2 lb (about 3-4) ripe tomatoes, 1 hothouse cucumber, 6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, ½ cup fresh basil leaves, ½ cup thinly sliced shallot
A delicious and flexible recipe. My grape tomato plant is producing a big crop! I subbed feta for mozzerella. A can of chickpeas is a nice addition. I used stale English muffins for the bread. A beautiful and healthy salad!