A handful of quality ingredients like crusty bread, luxurious olive oil, and ripe in-season tomatoes make panzanella salad recipe the summer side dish legends are made of.
A Bread Salad to Beat All Other Bread Salads
Panzanella is a classic Tuscan bread salad made with ripe tomatoes, dried crusty bread, and a simple tangy dressing. For something as simple as bread and tomatoes, panzanella salad is a surprisingly delightful summer salad recipe, and one of my favorite things to make with tomatoes.
Tomatoes may seem like the star of this salad, but my Italian friends will say panzanella is not a tomato salad with croutons. Instead, it’s a bread salad made with tomatoes. It is also made with other vegetables (but I stick with the classic tomatoes in my panzanella recipe).
The idea of bread salads is a familiar thing in different parts of the Mediterranean. If you’ve had my fattoush salad, you know it’s another delicious example that gives leftover bread, in this case, pita, new life.
Beyond salads, in Mediterranean cooking, you’ll find other ways to use up bread in soups like gazpacho or Sopa de Ajo in Spain or ribollita and Pappa al Pomodoro in Italy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quality crusty bread is the secret—it absorbs the dressing without falling apart, turning humble leftovers into the best part of the dish.
- Celebrates peak-season tomatoes, which contribute to the dressing.
- Only takes 20-minutes of hands-on time and gets better as it sits. The perfect tomato salad recipe for summer entertaining!
So, About Traditional Panzanella
As with other “peasant” dishes born of necessity, from Florence down to Rome, there are endless variations of this salad. I’ll admit I even have my own twist on panzanella with shrimp and zucchini.
But the non-negotiable is hefty day-old country bread. Prepared the traditional way, this salad will always start with stale bread that’s soaked in water for about 15 minutes or so, then wrung out and cut up or crumbled by hand to be tossed with vegetables (whatever is in season), extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
After tinkering a few times, I skipped the soaking step to give you my favorite version, and I’m excited to share some tips that have made all the difference for me.
How to Make Panzanella Salad
- Dry and toast the bread. If you have the time, tear the bread up and spread it on a large baking sheet, leaving it for a few hours or overnight to dry. When you’re ready, toss the bread with a bit of good olive oil and stick in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 400°F until the edges get somewhat crispy. You still need the bread to be chewy on the inside.
- Salt the tomatoes. Set a colander over a bowl. Slice your tomatoes, put them in a colander, and sprinkle with a large pinch of kosher salt. Toss them gently and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes while the bread toasts.
- Make the dressing. Remove the bowl from beneath the colander; it should have some juice from the tomatoes in it. To the bowl with the tomato juice, add 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of good extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic (1 to 2 minced cloves), fresh thyme, and a squeeze of Dijon mustard. Season with kosher salt and whisk to combine.
- Combine the tomatoes, bread, and dressing. Add the sliced tomatoes, toasted bread cubes, shallots, fresh basil, and mozzarella to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently to combine.
- Serve. Allow a few minutes, then transfer the salad to a serving plate or a large platter and serve!
Tips for the Best Panzanella Salad
When I think of eating the Mediterranean way, I think of this salad. It celebrates simple, quality ingredients, in-season tomatoes, and uses up what you have on hand.
- Use plump ripe tomatoes. Look for perfectly ripened tomatoes that are plump and heavy for their size. They should be firm with some give, and the skin should be tight without blemishes. In-season tomatoes really make this recipe, so be picky!
- The best tomatoes for making panzanella. I prefer colorful heirloom tomatoes when they are in season. They add texture, color, and are full of flavor. If you use cherry or grape tomatoes, slice them in half, so they can release their juices and become part of the dressing.
- Salt your tomatoes. I highly recommend you slice and salt your tomatoes before you make the salad. This only takes about 15 minutes or so for the salt to draw out the juices of the tomatoes. This intensifies the flavor of the tomatoes and gives you some delicious liquid to use in the dressing! And it’s convenient, since toast the bread while the tomatoes sit in the colander.
- Let the salad rest before serving. Once you mix the salad, allow it to sit for a few minutes so the flavors meld and the bread can soak up the dressing. How long? Some recipes will allow panzanella salad to sit for up to 4 hours before serving. But if you’re like me, and you don’t love a terribly soggy panzanella, then 20 to 30 minutes will do the trick. The bread will absorb the dressing and develop flavor without disintegrating and turning into mush.
- Dry and toast your bread. By drying your bread and toasting it first, it will absorb the delicious dressing without getting too soggy. The best bread is a crusty loaf with a dense, chewy center and a good, crunchy crust that allows it to sit in the dressing without falling apart and getting too soggy. Use Italian country bread, ciabatta, or baguettes. If you remember, tear the bread up and allow it to sit uncovered for a few hours or overnight so that it will dry and harden. Toss the bread in good extra virgin olive oil and toast it in the oven for a few minutes until it becomes crispy in some parts, while others remain chewy.
My Twist on Traditional Panzanella Dressing
A traditional panzanella recipe will call for the simplest of dressings made of good extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.
The dressing in this salad is kicked up a couple of notches with the addition of fresh garlic, thyme, and a small squeeze of Dijon mustard. And don’t forget, use the tomato juice you created from salting the tomatoes.
What to Serve with Panzanella Salad
Serve this sunny Tuscan bread salad during the warmer months when tomatoes are in season. It’s lovely to enjoy on BBQ night with anything from grilled chicken to salmon kabobs.
It’s also a great starter to a fun Italian menu with anything, including sundried tomato pasta, eggplant parmesan, chicken pesto, or fish of your choice.
Panzanella can also be the perfect summer salad for your next BBQ with things like chicken kabobs, lamb burgers, or grilled shrimp.
More Tomato Salad Recipes
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Heat the oven to 400°F.
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Toast the bread: In a large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes with large drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Toss to make sure the bread is well coated (save the bowl for later use). Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake in a heated oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. The edges should get crisp, while the bread gains some color and crispness, but remains a bit chewy in the center.
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Salt the tomatoes: Place a large colander over the same mixing bowl. Place the tomatoes in the colander and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss briefly with your hand. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the tomatoes to release their juices in the mixing bowl.
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Make the dressing: When ready, move the colander with the tomatoes to the sink for now, and use the mixing bowl with the tomato juice to make the dressing. Add red wine, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, thyme, and a large pinch of black pepper. Whisk to combine.
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Finish the salad: Add the tomatoes, bread cubes, shallots, basil, and mozzarella (if using) to the mixing bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Allow the salad to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
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Serve: Give the salad a gentle toss and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with a few more fresh basil leaves, if you like.
- Cook’s Tip: It helps to cut the bread into cubes ahead of time and leave it out to dry for a few hours. Still, do not skip toasting the bread in the oven for a few minutes; this makes a big difference in texture and helps keep the salad from getting too soggy.
- Dressing variation: You can pare down the dressing if you prefer something simpler. A bit of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar is essential; the rest is up to you.
- What kind of tomatoes to use? Any kind of tomato will work in tomato panzanella. I used vine-ripe tomatoes here, but I love using an assortment of colorful heirloom tomatoes when they’re in season. If you use small cherry or grape tomatoes, be sure to still cut them in half to be able to use their juice in the dressing.
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Calories: 82.3kcalCarbohydrates: 7.1gProtein: 5gFat: 4.4gSaturated Fat: 1.4gPotassium: 409mgFiber: 2.1gVitamin A: 1538.2IUVitamin C: 24.5mgCalcium: 89.9mgIron: 0.6mg
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2020 and has been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Panzanella is best served the same day you make it, but it tastes best when it has rested for about 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the dressing. I don’t recommend making this salad a day in advance because the bread will get soggy and the tomatoes will get mealy in the fridge.
Panzanella is specifically Tuscan. The bread is not a crouton topping but part of the structural foundation of the dish that absorbs tomato juices and olive oil. A bread salad is a looser category, whereas panzanella has a specific origin.
Day-old, crusty, rustic bread. A Tuscan pane sciocco or ciabatta if you can find it. A sourdough boule or French baguette would also work. The bread needs to be dried enough to absorb the liquid in the salad without getting mushy. Using day-old crusty bread, tossing it with olive oil, and toasting it in the oven before adding it to the salad will yield the best results.