Panzanella Salad Recipe - perfect summer salad!
Delicious panzanella salad is a summer treat with loads of red ripe tomatoes, chunks of crusty bread, and fresh green basil, dressed in a white wine vinaigrette.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For croutons:
- 6 cups cubed bread (see note)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For salad:
- 2 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
- ½ large red onion, thinly sliced (see note)
- 1 cucumber, quartered and sliced into ½ -inch chunks (see note)
- ½ cup torn basil leaves
- ¼ cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)
Instructions
- Make croutons. Heat oven to 375ºF. Combine the bread pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 20 minutes. If you’re using fresh bread, the croutons will take a little longer to become golden brown. If the bread is day-old and dry, the croutons may brown faster, so keep an eye on them. The size of your bread cubes will also make a difference in how long it may take for them to crisp up.6 cups cubed bread, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette ingredients together: ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper.¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber, basil, parsley, and capers (if using); mix. Add bread cubes and toss with vinaigrette. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.2 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes, ½ large red onion, thinly sliced, 1 cucumber, quartered and sliced into ½ -inch chunks, ½ cup torn basil leaves, ¼ cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- You can serve the panzanella salad immediately while the croutons are still crispy, or wait 30 minutes to let the dressing soak into the bread. It's your choice!
Video
Notes
- Bread: Day-old bread works well and will toast up more quickly. Use coarse-grained bakery bread, such as a baguette, French bread, Italian bread, or sour dough. The bread can be cut into cubes or torn into bite-sized pieces for a more rustic appearance. If you don't want to turn your oven on, make air fryer croutons.
- Onion prep: To take the flavor of the onions down a notch and prevent them from being overwhelming, soak them, sliced or diced, in ice water for 10 minutes or so. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels before adding them to the salad.
- Cucumber note: If using an English cucumber, there’s no need to peel or remove seeds. If using a regular garden cucumber, peel, quarter, and remove seeds.
- Make ahead ideas: Prepare the components of the panzanella ahead of time. Make the croutons and, after cooling thoroughly, store in a tightly covered container for up to a week. Cut the veggies and refrigerate. Make the vinaigrette a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before using and shake well.
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 880IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 3mg
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