Italian Tomato Panzanella
Take advantage of tomato season while it lasts by making this hearty Italian Panzanella recipe! Panzanella is essentially a rustic bread salad that’s loaded with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives. It can be enjoyed on its own or served alongside your favorite grilled proteins!
What Is Panzanella?
Panzanella is a Tuscan bread salad that’s tossed with a medley of fresh vegetables and herbs, all coated in a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
Bread salads aren’t unique to Tuscany, however. Variations of this recipe are eaten throughout the Mediterranean, and everyone has their own preferred ingredients list!
The base of most panzanella recipes is stale bread, juicy tomatoes, and raw onion. My version of summer panzanella also includes crisp cucumber, salty olives, fresh parsley and basil, and grated Parm.
This tomato bread salad is hearty enough to serve as a main dish on a hot summer day, but it’s also fantastic paired with grilled chicken or salmon. Who knew stale bread could taste this good!
Tools You’ll Need
The following pieces of kitchen equipment are useful for making panzanella bread salad at home:
- Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife — For chopping all the ingredients.
- Liquid Measuring Cup — For measuring the dressing.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons — For measuring all of the herbs and vegetables.
- Garlic Press — Makes quick work of finely mincing the garlic.
- Citrus Juicer — Helps to get every last drop of juice out of your lemons. (Here are all my tips for juicing citrus fruits).
- Vegetable Peeler — For peeling the cucumber.
- Box Grater — For grating the Parm (freshly grated always tastes the best!).
Recipe Ingredients
Italian panzanella is a very forgiving recipe that can be made with a variety of fresh vegetables. So long as you include stale bread, tomatoes, and onion, you can build onto the recipe from there!
For the dressing:
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Parsley
- Kosher Salt and Pepper
- Garlic
For the salad:
- Sourdough Bread
- Tomatoes (I used a blend of beefsteak and grape tomatoes; use what you have)
- Red Onion
- Kalamata Olives
- Cucumbers
- Fresh Basil
- Grated Parmesan
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make tomato panzanella, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Italian Panzanella
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Assemble the salad: Fold in the bread, tomatoes, onion, olives, cucumber, and basil.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan before serving.
The above is simply a quick summary of this tomato panzanella recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips
- Choose a hearty, crusty bread — Don’t use a loaf of soft, store-bought sandwich bread for this recipe. You need a sturdy loaf of sourdough, ciabatta, or similar. Softer breads like sandwich bread, brioche, and challah will soak up the dressing too quickly and the resulting tomato panzanella will be soggy.
- Use stale bread, if possible — Sometimes I make this recipe with a fresh loaf of sourdough, but technically stale bread is what you’re supposed to use. If your bread is super fresh and springy, consider drying it out in a 200ºF oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. The bread shouldn’t be toasted, just dry.
- Use the freshest ingredients possible — This is summer in a salad, so use as many in-season ingredients as you can. Fresh herbs and vegetables will release lots of natural juices that will coat the bread and flavor the dressing.
- Mix and match ingredients as you like — Don’t like olives? Omit them. Have a few different tomato varieties on hand? That’s okay! This is a flexible recipe that can be tailored to your needs.
Recipe FAQs
Got questions about how to make tomato panzanella? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
What’s the best bread for panzanella?
Choose a sturdy loaf of bread with a nice crust on it, such as ciabatta or sourdough. Ideally you’ll be making Italian panzanella with day-old bread that’s slightly dry and stale, but if your bread is fresh you can still make this recipe as written.
Can this recipe be made with gluten-free bread?
Yes! So long as it’s a sturdy loaf of bread like what I described in the FAQ above, you should be fine to use a gluten-free variety.
Can the olives be omitted or substituted?
If you don’t like Kalamata olives, you’re welcome to substitute them with another favorite olive. You could also experiment with adding a few spoonfuls of capers to impart a similar level of saltiness.
How far in advance can I prepare this recipe?
Tomato panzanella is best eaten within 2 to 3 hours of assembling it.
There’s a sweet spot where the stale bread has soaked up enough of the vinaigrette to become perfectly soft and juicy — that’s when you should serve it. After that sweet spot has passed, the bread becomes soggy rather than soft and the entire salad becomes unpalatable.
If you’re trying to work further in advance, you can prepare elements of this recipe ahead of time:
- Cube the bread and leave on your counter to dry out (up to 8 hours or overnight).
- Chop the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and olives. Store separately and refrigerate up to 48 hours in advance.
- Whisk together the panzanella salad dressing and store airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Storage Instructions
Italian panzanella salad tastes best after it’s been allowed to chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, and after that point the bread starts to soften too much.
If you wind up with leftovers, you’ll need to eat them within 24 hours.
What to Serve with Panzanella
Serve the fresh yet hearty panzanella bread salad with your favorite Mediterranean- and Italian-inspired dishes. We love serving this salad with one of the following:
- Grilled Proteins: Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, Grilled Balsamic Chicken, Foil Pack Pesto Pork Chops, and Lemon Grilled Chicken Kebabs.
- Pastas: Penne with Vodka Sauce, Cheesy Gnocchi Sausage Bake, One-Skillet Baked Ziti, and Pasta Bolognese.
- Vegetable Sides: Traeger Grilled Asparagus, Garlicky Sauteed Kale, Grilled Zucchini and Squash, Lemon Roasted Broccolini, and Roasted Broccoli.
Try Making Italian Bread Salad at Home!
Next time you’re looking for a recipe for using up stale bread, give this summer panzanella a try!
Did you love how fresh the salad was? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see a photo of your tomato bread salad!
More Italian Side Salad Recipes:
Do you love Olive Garden’s famous house salad? Learn how simple this Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe is to make at home so you can enjoy your favorite flavors without the cost of eating out!
This Zucchini Tomato Basil Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is a light and refreshing summertime salad and perfect when your garden is exploding with tomatoes, basil, and zucchini in the later summer months.
Made with a scratch dressing and garlic croutons, this Homemade Caesar Salad is a crowd favorite that everyone loves. This recipe comes straight from the kids’ Grandma Carol and pairs well with chicken, shrimp, steak, and more!
Italian Mixed Greens Salad uses a blend of arugula, radicchio, and baby kale tossed with a simple lemon Dijon vinaigrette and topped with crispy prosciutto and fresh shaved parmesan.
Get More Recipes via Email
Did you love this recipe for summer panzanella? Sign up to receive Good Life Eats Email Updates and never miss another recipe!
Italian Tomato Panzanella
Take advantage of tomato season while it lasts by making this hearty Italian Panzanella recipe! Panzanella is essentially a rustic bread salad that’s loaded with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and olives. It can be enjoyed on its own or served alongside your favorite grilled protein!
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
Salad:
- 1 medium red onion, sliced in thin half circles
- 3 cups heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (a variety of colors is best!)
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1 large english cucumber, seeds removed, and sliced into half moons
- 5 cups stale sourdough bread cubes (you want roughly 3/4-inch to 1-inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Garnishes
- freshly grated Parmesan
- salt, to taste
- whole fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Preparing the Dressing
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic. Set aside.
Marinating the Onions
- Add the sliced red onion to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour half of the salad dressing over and toss to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Preparing the Vegetables
- While the onions are marinating, chop all of the vegetables (the tomatoes, kalamata olives, and cucumber).
- Then, after the onions have marinated for 10 minutes, add the other vegetables to the mixing bowl with the onions.
- Stir gently until combined.
Assembling the Salad
- Add the bread cubes and chopped basil to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine.
- Drizzle with the remaining dressing, tossing to coat.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter.
- Garnish and serve.
Notes
adapted from Real Simple
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 495Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 728mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 9g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Katie @ goodLife {eats} says
PaperdayStudio/Katie Stephenson – Yes, I take all my own photographs (unless otherwise noted on a post). Thanks! And I just love my new template from Ellie.
PaperdayStudio/Katie Stephenson says
Wow, are you the photographer? Beautiful pictures and RAINY DAY TEMPLATES. Isn't Ellie just the best? I can't say enough about her.
Patsyk says
I'm not tired of tomatoes yet! Love the bright colors in this meal, that's one of my favorite parts of summer meals… bright flavors and bright colors!
Amy J in SC says
Looks yum. Such a simple recipe that but I haven't though of it – thanks for sharing!
picky cook says
love it – we have been eating tons of panzanella this summer. to me it is the perfect summer dish.
Jennifer says
I LOVE the new layout 🙂 🙂 Im also a huge fan of TDT 🙂 This panzanella sounds amazing!!
Maria says
I always forget about panzanella. Thanks for the reminder! Looks great! And I am not sick of the summer produce so keep the good recipes coming:)