Summer Panzanella Salad

5 from 7 votes

Summer Panzanella Salad with golden chunks of bread, tomatoes, basil, and a simple vinaigrette. This Tuscan-style tomato bread salad is perfect for summer entertaining.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time1

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Author: Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Equipment

Baking sheet
Mixing bowls

Ingredients

8 oz. ciabatta or baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 heaping cups)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 lb. tomatoes (heirloom, cherry tomatoes, or a mix of both) halved or sliced
1 medium peach, nectarine, or mango thinly sliced or cubed
1/3 cup fresh chopped basil leaves, plus more for garnish
6 oz. mozzarella or burrata cheese, torn or cubed

Panzanella Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Spread bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt; toss well to coat. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until edges are golden brown and bread is nicely toasted. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare dressing by combining all dressing ingredients (olive oil through salt and black pepper) in a large mixing bowl; stir with a whisk. Add red onion and let sit for 10 minutes to soften.
To the mixing bowl, add toasted bread, tomatoes, fruit, and fresh basil. Season to taste with kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper and toss well to coat. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes to allow bread to soak up the dressing.
Empty salad onto a serving platter and dollop with torn pieces of burrata or mozzarella cheese. Add a final drizzle of olive oil right before serving, and garnish with extra fresh basil, if desired. Enjoy within 2 hours.

Notes

Panzanella salad is best enjoyed FRESH - within 2 to 3 hours of preparing. After that, the bread will become soggy from soaking up the dressing. The magic window for serving, in my opinion, is about 20 to 30 minutes after preparing!

For serving: Panzanella salad is delicious served alongside anything hot off the grill--chicken, fish, burgers, or shrimp kebabs. It also makes a great side dish for soup or stews, or cheesy panini sandwiches.

Nutrition