Panzanella is a gorgeous chopped salad loaded with ripe, juicy tomatoes, fresh fragrant basil, cucumber, toasted bread cubes, and parmesan cheese!
What is it?
The name Panzanella sounds like it would come from Italy, and it does. It is a Tuscan bread salad, which was originally made with stale bread soaked in water, and onions. Modern-day Panzanella includes tomatoes and cucumbers, plus a Panzanella Dressing made with oil and vinegar.
What goes with it?
Panzanella is usually served in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. As such, it is terrific for a backyard BBQ paired with grilled meats, seafood, and vegetables. However, most of the time, when I make it, I serve it as a main dish salad for a light dinner.
This scrumptious salad is lovely on its own, but it is equally delicious with the addition of various meats, cheeses, and vegetables. For example, add shrimp, tuna, salmon, prosciutto, or chicken to make it heartier. Cannellini beans, artichokes, avocado, olives, and even peaches are delightful additions.
Swap out the toasted bread for toasted cornbread croutons, and you have a winning southern-style combination. And, of course, you can always add your favorite cheeses: feta, burrata, mozzarella, whatever you like, the sky is the limit.
How to make it:
Gather your ingredients which are: very crusty Italian bread (you can substitute French bread, but don’t tell the Italians), a whole English cucumber, tomatoes, a red onion, fresh basil, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese. You will also need olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Cut up the bread into large cubes, about one to one and one-half inch square.
Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with one-quarter teaspoon of salt. Cook, frequently stirring, for five to ten minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil if you need it. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Chop the tomatoes into large cubes. Finely dice the onion. Set aside.
Slice the cucumber in half and use a sharp spoon to scoop out the seeds. Do not peel. Chop the remaining cucumber. Set aside.
How to make the salad dressing:
To make the dressing: add one-quarter cup of olive oil, one tablespoon of red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper to a small bowl and mix well.
How to assemble:
To assemble the salad, add the bread cubes, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion in a large bowl and toss to combine.
Pour on the salad dressing and add most of your basil and grated parmesan and toss again. Reserve a little for garnish.
Garnish with the remaining basil and parmesan. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature until you are ready to serve the salad.
More Salad Recipes:
If you like salads, you might also like these popular salad recipes on my blog:
- Brussels Sprout Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette,
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Cranberries,
- Southern Cucumber and Tomato Salad,
- Easy Southern Corn Salad, and
- Easy Southern Broccoli Salad.
Need more ideas? Check out all of my salad recipes here.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- If you don’t have bread to make the croutons or don’t have time to toast the bread, you can substitute large packages caesar salad croutons.
- Try substituting toasted cornbread for the toasted bread in this recipe.
- You can substitute fresh peach slices for the tomatoes for a nice change of pace.
- You can also use bottled Italian salad dressing instead of the homemade dressing in this recipe.
- If you are grating your parmesan cheese, use a large hole grater. If you are buying cheese which has already been grated, choose the more rustic or larger pieces of shredded cheese. Do not use finely grated parmesan.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
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Panzanella Salad Recipe and Panzanella Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 cups Italian bread cut into large cubes, about ¾ of a loaf
- 1 English cucumber halved, seeded and diced
- 6 tomatoes small to medium, cut into large cubes
- ½ red onion finely diced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 20 basil leaves cut into thin strips
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut up the bread into large cubes, about one to one and one-half inch square.
- Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, frequently stirring, for five to ten minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil if you need it. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- Chop the tomatoes into large cubes. Finely dice the onion. Slice the cucumber in half and use a sharp spoon to scoop out the seeds. Do not peel. Chop the remaining cucumber. Set aside.
- Add one-quarter cup of olive oil, one tablespoon of red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper to a small bowl and mix well.
- Add the bread cubes, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Pour on the salad dressing and add most of your basil and grated parmesan and toss again. Reserve a little of each for garnish.
- Garnish with the remaining basil and parmesan. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for up to one hour, or until you are ready to serve the salad.
Notes
- If you don't have bread to make the croutons or don't have time to toast the bread, you can substitute large packages caesar salad croutons.
- Try substituting toasted cornbread for the toasted bread in this recipe.
- You can substitute fresh peach slices for the tomatoes for a nice change of pace.
- You can also use bottled Italian salad dressing instead of the homemade dressing in this recipe.
- If you are grating your parmesan cheese, use a large hole grater. If you are buying cheese which has already been grated, choose the more rustic or larger pieces of shredded cheese. Do not use finely grated parmesan.
Nutrition
*This recipe for Panzanella Salad was originally published on March 29, 2016. Reposted August 1, 2019, with new images, revised and updated text and revisions to the original recipe.
The Book of Food
It’s a classic and yet, I never make it ! Tomorrow is the day ! I’ll make it for lunch. 🙂