Panzanella Salad
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
With crispy, olive oil-soaked Italian bread, juicy tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, panzanella makes a satisfying summer supper.
In the heart of summer, I love making hearty salads for dinner, and nothing satisfies quite like a rustic bread salad, such as panzanella. This Tuscan dish brings together crispy, olive oil-soaked bread, juicy tomatoes, loads of fresh veggies, fragrant basil, and a garlicky vinaigrette. Originally created as a way to use up stale bread, panzanella is so delicious that I don’t mind buying a fresh loaf just to make it.
To me, panzanella holds its own as the ultimate light summer supper. But, to keep my meat-and-potatoes-loving husband happy, I usually pair it with grilled pesto shrimp or grilled chicken. The recipe is adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties.
Table of Contents
“We LOVE this salad! Thank you. Everyone should have this recipe up their sleeve.”
What You’ll Need To Make Panzanella Salad
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Permeates the bread, adding richness and flavor while keeping the exterior crispy. Also forms the base of the dressing.
- Rustic Italian Bread: Forms the base of the salad, providing crunch and soaking up the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Tomatoes: Adds juicy sweetness, a hint of acidity, and vibrant color to the salad.
- Bell Peppers: Offer a crunchy texture and a subtle sweetness. You can use red, yellow, or orange peppers (or one of each of 2 of the colors).
- Cucumber: Adds crispness and a refreshing taste, balancing out the richness of the bread and olive oil.
- Capers: Add bursts of briny, salty flavor.
- White Wine Vinegar: Provides acidity to balance the richness of the olive oil and bread.
- Garlic: Infuses a subtle savory flavor, tying all the ingredients together.
- Shallots: Contribute a mild oniony flavor. Red onion is more traditional, but I prefer shallots as they don’t overpower the other flavors in the salad.
- Fresh Basil: Adds a fragrant herbal note.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Panzanella Salad
Begin by cutting the bread into 1-inch cubes. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Most recipes, including the one this is based on, will have you rest the salad for up to a few hours to allow the bread to soak up the dressing. I prefer the bread crispy, so I toss it at the last minute and reserve some to sprinkle over the salad as a garnish.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, capers, wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup oil.
Toss well.
Right before serving, add two-thirds of the toasted bread and basil to the salad.
Toss to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Don’t be shy with the salt, as this salad begs for a lot of seasoning.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining toasted bread cubes over top. Serve immediately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, you can add grilled chicken or shrimp to the salad. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, cannellini beans or chickpeas would work nicely.
Absolutely! A sturdy gluten-free bread will work nicely as a substitute for traditional Italian bread. If you’re not gluten-free, but don’t find Italian bread at your store, some other good options are a baguette, sourdough, or ciabatta.
I don’t recommend making the entire salad ahead, but you can combine the ingredients for the dressing up to a few days in advance (hold off on the capers until you’re ready to serve the salad). Store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve.
You May Also Like
Panzanella Salad
With crispy, olive oil-soaked Italian bread, juicy tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, panzanella makes a satisfying summer supper.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 cups rustic Italian bread, cut into 1-in cubes (about ¾ lb)
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1½ pounds tomatoes, cut into 1-in cubes (about 2 large)
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut into 1-in cubes
- 1 small English or hothouse cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons finely minced shallots, from 1 large shallot
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and ½ teaspoon salt; toss well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, capers, wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, pepper, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ cup oil. Toss well.
- Right before serving, add two-thirds of the toasted bread and basil to the salad. Toss to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary (I usually add about ¼ tsp more salt). Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining toasted bread cubes over top. Serve immediately so the bread doesn't get soggy.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 327
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 497 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This is such a good way to use up dry bread – the older the better, practically, because of that great crispy/chewy bite once the croutons soak up the salad juices. Kids and hubby all love this “bread salad.”
My whole family loves this dish! I toasted the bread pieces in the oven and added cannelini beans for some added protein. Otherwise, followed the recipe as written and this is a perfect summer salad.
This salad is absolutely delicious and so easy to make! My husband loved it, as did I. It is flavorful and colorful; what’s not to like?
Amazing and so easy to make. I left out the capers because my husband doesn’t like them and it was still delicious. Definitely making this again very soon.
This was excellent! Although I also made the homemade croutons- it was great without them as well.
I made this salad along with your restaurant style salmon. Delicious! Another winner! Thanks, Jenn!
Can you toast bread in oven as croutons
Yes, that will work. Enjoy!
Is there a substitute for the capers or can they be omitted?
It’s fine to just omit them, Lynda. Hope you enjoy the salad!
I’ve always wanted to try panzanella, I remember seeing Ina make it on Barefoot Contessa years ago, but I’m a picky fresh tomato person so I’ve always put it off…until today when I checked my inbox and saw your recipe, realizing I had everything I needed fresh from the garden. I can’t stop eating it. It’s amazing! I’m sure the stellar veggies and fresh baked bread have a lot to do with it, but your flavors are spot on! Per usual 😁 thank you for the perfect addition to my summer time dinner rotation!
Yes, I made this, I have all the barefoot contessa books by the way… the salad was very good, I will make it again from time to time. thank you, David (I don’t know how to share it on Instagram or I would.)