Only the Italians could come up with something as delightful as panzanella, and my panzanella recipe is true to its Italian roots. If you’ve never had it before, panzanella is simply a Tuscan bread salad.
Made of bread, juicy fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and plenty of Parmesan, panzanella is hearty and so simple, and even though it’s a classic, I feel like people I serve it to are always a bit delighted by it. It’s a terrific contribution to cookouts and potlucks, too. For more salad recipes that celebrate summer tomatoes, try tomato salad, or classic Italian caprese.
What Is Panzanella?
Panzanella is a classic Italian recipe that’s often associated with Tuscany, but can be found throughout Italy. Bread ‘salad’ probably evolved as a delicious way to make the most of day-old loaves of rustic bread. Tossing the dry bread pieces with juicy summer tomatoes and a garlicky panzanella dressing gives the bread a second life!
As the dried bread soaks up the dressing and tomato juices and whatever else you might have added to your panzanella, it becomes tender, chewy and irresistible. This easy, classic panzanella salad recipe comes together quickly and relies on simple ingredients to make a dreamy light dinner, or hearty summer side dish.
Classic Panzanella Ingredients + Swaps
For the bread salad:
- Bread: Traditional Tuscan panzanella would be made with day-old, local, country loaves. If you happen to have a whole loaf of day-old bread, perfect. If not, that’s OK! My panzanella recipe mimics that staleness by toasting the bread, so even if your bread isn’t day-old, it will be fine. I usually use gluten-free bread, but ciabatta or French bread or even homemade sourdough work well.
- Tomatoes. The freshest, juiciest tomatoes you can find. If the best tomatoes are regular and not cherry tomatoes, that’s OK! Just use what is in season right in the moment and tastes best, it’s the Italian way.
- Fresh basil. A must!
- Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated is always best.
- Shallot. I use shallots because they have the hint of sharpness, but are a bit milder than other onions.
- Granulated garlic. Maybe this isn’t 100% traditional, but it makes panzanella so good! I toss the bread with granulated garlic and salt before toasting it, so that every single bite of bread is bursting with garlicky goodness.
Panzanella dressing:
- Olive oil
- White balsamic vinegar. I used white balsamic vinegar so that the salad remains light and bright, but regular balsamic vinegar works fine, too.
- Honey
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic in the dressing, and granulated on the bread pieces for a double dose of super flavor.
- Dijon mustard: For just a hint of creaminess.
Tips For The Best Panzanella
- Don't skip seeding the tomatoes! It keeps the panzanella salad from being too watery.
- Panzanella tastes best if it can sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature before serving, so the bread can soak up all those delicious juices.
- Tear the bread by hand for a truly rustic vibe, plus the hand-torn pieces absorb dressing better than sliced cubes.
- For an even easier summer dinner, prep much of this panzanella recipe a day ahead of time. You can tear up your loaf of bread and leave it out on a tray overnight to go stale, and make the panzanella dressing a day ahead.
- On “de-flaming” the shallots: To mellow out the shallots’ onion-y bite, pour boiling water over them. It’s a trick I love to employ for this panzanella recipe, so that their sharpness doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.
- Leftover panzanella is delicious, and will keep easily for 3 days. After that, it’d still be safe to eat but the bread will be soggy by then.
Optional Add-Ins
To me, panzanella is all about simple, rustic flavors and celebrating tomatoes. But! You can beef it up a bit to make it heartier by adding to it. Here are a few things I’ve added before and loved:
- Cubes of fresh mozzarella for a Caprese vibe.
- Fresh arugula to make it even more legit salad-like.
- Olives for extra salty briny flavor.
- I’ve topped it with grilled chicken for a more filling, one-bowl meal. Try white beans as a vegetarian alternative!
What to Serve With Panzanella
On a hot summer evening, all you really need to serve with panzanella is a glass of chilled white wine. But, if you’d like to serve this as part of a larger meal, try serving panzanella with other easy summer recipes like:
More Hearty Salad Recipes to Try
Gorgeous Italian Salads, All Summer Long
For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Substack, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!
