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    Home » Salads

    Panzanella Salad

    Lindsay Moe

    50 shares

    Panzanella salad is made with crusty bread, fresh tomatoes, bright onion, and fragrant basil. It’s a fresh and satisfying tomato and bread salad that you’ll be enjoying for a light lunch, or serve at a picnic or potluck!

    a bowl of panzanella salad with extra ingredients and a striped napkin
    Jump to Recipe

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

    It’s not officially summer until you’ve enjoyed a good panzanella salad.

    Salads are one of my favorite things to make lately because they’re so easily customizable. This panzanella salad recipe fits right in with it’s simple ingredient list.

    a bowl of vegan panzanella salad

    What is panzanella salad?

    Panzanella is an Italian bread salad. Stale bread is soaked in a combination of olive oil and vinegar and tossed with chopped tomatoes, onions, and occasionally other ingredients.

    It’s really a lovely combination of flavors, and perfect as a light summer lunch or side dish. I love using up vegetables and herbs from my garden, or grabbing them at the farmer’s market for the ultimate summer experience.

    It’s really best if you can grab a bite with a little bit of everything for the best flavor and texture!

    close up of panzanella salad recipe in a white bowl

    Ingredients

    • Italian bread
    • Roma tomatoes
    • Red onion
    • Basil
    • Olive oil
    • Red wine vinegar
    • Salt & pepper

    How to make panzanella

    In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. That’s it! So easy.

    close up of tomatoes, bread, onion, and basil

    Top tips and questions

    Is this an authentic panzanella salad recipe?

    While I believe this is fairly close to what you would find in a traditional panzanella salad, I have not visited Italy or studied Italian cooking. Even when looking for an authentic recipe, you will find a lot of variations.

    Traditionally, the bread in this recipe is soaked in water before being wrung out, then used to soak up all the oil, vinegar, and tomato juices. I find that it’s ok to skip the water soak as long as you let the salad rest for a while after mixing.

    Can I use any kind of bread for panzanella salad?

    Day old, crusty Italian bread is going to give you the best result in this tomato bread salad. The stale bread soaks up the oil and vinegar without getting too soggy.

    If you don’t have Italian bread, you could use another crusty, day old bread. I would not recommend using soft sandwich bread since it would fall apart.

    a bowl of panzanella salad with a spoon and basil

    Do I need to remove the seeds from the tomatoes?

    I always remove the seeds from my roma tomatoes. It is usually very easy to do, just slice the tomatoes in half, then use your fingers to scoop out the middle. 

    If you prefer a juicer salad or just like the seeds, feel free to leave them in when cutting your tomato.

    Tips for customizing

    • Add diced cucumbers, sliced peaches, corn, or whatever other summer favorites you have on hand
    • Swap the roma tomatoes for heirloom or cherry tomatoes
    • Add your favorite protein such as canned or roasted garbanzo beans, chicken, or salmon
    • Whisk the olive oil and red wine vinegar with a bit of dijon mustard before adding to the salad
    • Dry out the bread cubes in a low temperature oven before combining everything if your bread is too soft
    panzanella salad in a white bowl

    What to serve with panzanella salad

    • BBQ Tofu
    • Easy Canned Butter Beans
    • Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
    • Spinach Pesto Baked Eggs

    More salad recipes

    • Rainbow Quinoa Salad
    • Southwest Salad
    • Greek Orzo Salad
    • Mediterranean Couscous Salad
    • BBQ Chickpea Salad
    • Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
    • Israeli Couscous Salad
    • Vegan Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Tofu
    • Vegan Orzo Pasta Salad
    • Vegan Potluck Barley Salad
    a bowl of tomato bread salad with a striped napkin, basil, and spoon

    If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

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    a bowl of panzanella salad with a striped napkin and herbs

    Panzanella Salad

    This is the best summer salad! Panzanella salad is made from stale bread, fresh tomatoes, onions, basil and a simple dressing.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 460kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    Ingredients

    • ½ pound good quality day old crusty Italian bread, cubed
    • 4 small roma tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
    • 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl combine all ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 835IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.7mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

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    1. Chung-Ah| Damn Delicious says

      June 15, 2012 at 4:00 pm

      It’s been so long since I had panzanella! I’ll have to make this soon!

      Reply

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    lindsay moe in a kitchen with glasses on shelves behind her

    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

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    50 shares