Panzanella Salad – Italian bread salad with crusty bread, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and a simple Italian dressing! A wonderful summer salad for bread fans!
Panzanella salad is a well-known and very delicious salad from Tuscany, Italy. That’s why it’s also called Italian bread salad. The main ingredient, as the name suggests, is bread. It’s cut into bite-sized pieces and then toasted with extra virgin olive oil and dried Italian seasoning in a skillet until golden brown. Resulting in crispy and irresistibly delicious bread pieces – almost like croutons, only bigger!
Toss the toasted bread with fresh ripe tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, fresh basil leaves, add a simple Panzanella salad dressing made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup – that’s it! Such a simple and quick recipe that is bursting with flavor. A must-try for bread lovers!
The crusty bread cubes soak up the dressing beautifully! Feel free to let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving; this way, the bread softens slightly!
I’m a big fan of this summery salad recipe! Just a wonderful way to use up stale bread!
This Italian bread salad can be adjusted to your taste. Add bell pepper, fresh berries, mozzarella, or any of your favorite summer salad ingredients.
Best Bread To Use
Panzanella Salad is delicious with Italian ciabatta or sourdough bread. However, it doesn’t matter that much which bread you are using. Go for the one you like!
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can use stale bread – such a delicious way to use up any bread leftovers from the previous day!
Panzanella Salad Recipe – Step-by-Step
Read through this visual step-by-step guide with lots of extra tips! The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add dried herbs and bread pieces, toast for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
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- Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Prepare the rest of the ingredients. You need:
- Cherry Tomatoes or Tomatoes of Choice
- Cucumber
- Shallot, or Red Onion, Scallion
- Fresh Basil
- Toss everything in a serving bowl & enjoy!
Recipe FAQ & Tips
Can I prepare this salad in advance? Sure! Prepare all the ingredients and store them individually in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Toss right before serving!
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free bread!
More Summer Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Vegan Italian Pasta Salad
- Tomato Burrata Salad
- Greek Salad
- Grilled Peach Salad
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📖 Recipe
Panzanella Salad
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Ingredients
Panzanella Salad
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried italian herbs
- 2 slices bread (approx. 7oz) in mouth-sized pieces
- 1 ⅓ cup cherry tomatoes halved OR 1-2 tomatoes, diced
- ½ cucumber diced
- 1 shallot sliced
- ½ bunch fresh basil in strips or coarsely chopped
Dressing
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add dried herbs and bread pieces, toast for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and seson to taste with salt and pepper.
- Combine everything in a large serving bowl and toss until well combined.
Notes
- Bread: This recipe is perfect to use leftover bread from the day before!
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