Description
Panzanella is a classic Italian bread salad featuring stale crusty bread combined with fresh ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and fragrant basil, all tossed in a tangy balsamic and olive oil dressing. This refreshing and rustic dish highlights summer flavors and is perfect for a light lunch or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups stale crusty bread, torn into pieces
- 2 cups ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Dressing Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the bread: Tear stale bread into bite-sized pieces. For extra texture and flavor, you can optionally toast the bread pieces until golden brown, which will help them hold up better in the salad.
- Chop vegetables: Roughly chop the ripe tomatoes and dice the cucumber into large chunks to maintain a rustic texture and fresh bite.
- Slice onions: Thinly slice the red onion and add it to the bowl with the chopped tomatoes and cucumber, helping to distribute the flavor evenly.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper until well combined for a balanced, tangy dressing.
- Combine salad: In a large bowl, combine the torn or toasted bread pieces with the vegetable mixture. Drizzle the dressing over and toss gently to ensure all the bread soaks up the flavors without becoming too soggy.
- Add basil and rest: Tear fresh basil leaves on top of the salad for aromatic freshness. Let the salad sit for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the bread to absorb the dressing, enhancing the texture and taste.
Notes
- Using stale bread gives the salad its characteristic texture, but lightly toasting fresh bread can be an alternative.
- Letting the salad rest allows the bread to absorb the dressing fully, resulting in richer flavor.
- Feel free to add other fresh herbs like parsley or oregano for variation.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute with gluten-free bread.
- Adjust salt and pepper according to taste preferences.