Go Back
–+ servings
Print

Panzanella Salad

Panzanella Salad is a fantastic classic Italian bread and tomato salad for summer days.  It’s tangy, light, and bursting with herbal notes! Hearty enough for a light lunch or as dinner main dish. 
Course Salad
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3 - 4 people
Author Imma

Equipment

  • Skillet or baking sheet
  • Small mixing bowl 
  • Medium mxing bowl

Ingredients

Panzanella Bread  

  • ½ baguette , stale cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups) 
  • 1-2 tablespoons (14ml-28ml) olive oil 
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) sea salt 
  • 2 cups (298g) mixed cherry tomatoes , halved 
  • ¼ cup (28.75g) red onion , thinly sliced 
  • ½ cup (66g) fresh mozzarella , chopped or torn into pieces  
  • 1 cucumber , sliced half-moon (about 2 cups)
  • ½ cup (65g) kalamata olives  
  • ¼ cup (6g) fresh basil , torn in pieces  
  • 1-2 tablespoon s (8.6g-17.2g) capers , optional 

Dressing  

  • 2-3 garlic cloves , grated into a paste  
  • 2-3 tablespoons (30ml-45ml) red wine vinegar 
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5g) Dijon mustard 
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons  (42ml) olive oil 
  • ½ teaspoon  (0.5g) thyme , minced  
  • 1  tablespoon  (3g) oregano , chopped  

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a skillet or cast iron over medium heat.  You may add more oil as you cook.  Add bread cubes, let it sit for a minute, then toss frequently. If bread is browning too fast, adjust heat Continue browning for about 8-10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Or preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread out bread cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
  • Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt over the bread cubes.  
  • Then bake in a preheated oven for about 7-10 minutes until dried out and pale golden brown at the edges.  
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. 
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, bread cubes, cucumber, mozzarella, and olives  
  • In a medium bowl, combine remaining, garlic, vinegar, Dijon mustard salt, and black pepper to taste. Add olive oil until the mixture is thickened. Stir in thyme and oregano.  
  • Pour dressing over the bowl of tomatoes. 
  • Toss to fully combine, adjust seasoning to taste. Top with capers and basil before serving, if desired. 

Notes

  1. Store any leftover in the fridge for about 2 days, but expect that there'll be a change with the bread's texture and so with the tomatoes.
  2. You may add bell peppers in it and other veggies. Please see FAQ in the blog post for other suggestions.
  3. Got some store-bought croutons? You can use it instead.
  4. Let the salad sit for at least half an hour before serving.