Easy Panzanella Salad

This tasty Italian Panzanella Salad combines toasted bread with fresh sun-ripened tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, thin slices of red onion, English cucumbers, capers, and fresh basil; all drizzled with an easy vinaigrette. It is an Italian salad that replaces lettuce with crusty bread. It is one of our favorite summer dishes, and we serve it often with grilled chicken, pork, or fish.

Panzanella is a popular summer bread and tomato chopped salad that often includes cucumber and is usually dressed with an oil and vinegar dressing. I like to add thinly sliced red onion for color, flavor, and texture and capers for a salty balance with the toasted bread and sweet mozzarella.

How to make Panzanella Salad

First, toss your bread cubes with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Then spread them out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven for almost 20 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy like croutons.

Then combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic, and Dijon mustard in a mason jar. Screw the top on and shake to coat. Or whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl. Add the cooled bread cubes, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, red onion, English cucumbers, basil, and capers. Shake the vinaigrette one more time and drizzle over the bread salad. Finally, toss the bread salad and serve.

Recipe tips

• Use Italian bread, sourdough bread, crusty French bread, or ciabatta bread or rolls. Many panzanella recipes call for using stale bread. I really prefer to toast fresh bread. 
• Mix the dressing up to 24 hours before and store it in a mason jar in the fridge. When ready to prepare the rest of the recipe, remove it from the refrigerator 40 minutes before. Shake well before drizzling over the salad.
• Use a mandoline for thin sliced red onions and perfectly sliced cucumbers.
• Panzanella is best served shortly after it is prepared and tossed. The bread should be coated with the dressing but not soggy. This will happen if you toss the salad too far in advance.
• To prepare ahead of time, get the individual ingredients together and store them in individual containers or sealed bags. Fully cool the croutons before storing in a zipper bag on the counter. The other ingredients should be stored in the refrigerator.
• If using mozzarella balls instead of pearls, cut them in half.
• Other vegetables and fruit to experiment with include chickpeas, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, corn, and peaches. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The ingredients will still stay good, but the bread will get soggy.

What to serve with Italian Bread Salad

• Grilled protein like chicken, fish, steak, ribs, or shrimp.
• Cheesy casseroles like Eggplant Parmesan, Ravioli Lasagna, and Meatball Casserole.
• Homemade soups like Creamy Mushroom Soup, Minestrone, Tortellini Soup, Italian Sausage Soup, and Lasagna Soup.

More salad recipes to try!

Classic Panzanella Salad

Easy Summer Panzanella Salad with toasted Italian bread cubes, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, mozzarella pearls, capers, and fresh basil, all tossed in a simple oil and vinegar dressing.

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Tuscan

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 558kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• Salad
• ¾ lb. Italian bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 ½ lbs ripe tomatoes like heirloom tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
• ¼ cup thin sliced red onion
• ½ English cucumber cut in half and sliced
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons capers

Vinaigrette

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic pressed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Toss the bread cubes with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Spread them out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 15-18  minutes or until golden brown and crunchy like croutons. 
• Combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic, and Dijon mustard in a mason jar and shake to coat.
• Add the cooled bread cubes, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, red onion, English cucumbers, basil, and capers to a large bowl. Shake the vinaigrette one more time and drizzle over the bread salad. Toss the bread salad to coat.  For best results, serve promptly.  

Notes

• Use Italian bread, crusty French bread, or ciabatta bread or rolls. Many panzanella recipes call for using stale bread.  I really prefer fresh bread toasted. 
• Mix the dressing up to 24 hours before and store it in a mason jar in the fridge. When ready to prepare the rest of the recipe, remove it from the refrigerator 40 minutes before. Shake well before drizzling over the salad.
• Use a mandoline for thin sliced red onions and perfectly sliced cucumbers.
• Panzanella is best served shortly after it is prepared and tossed. The bread should be coated with the dressing but not soggy. This will happen if you toss the salad too far in advance.
• To prepare ahead of time, get the individual ingredients together and store them in individual containers or sealed bags. Fully cool the croutons before storing in a zipper bag on the counter. The other ingredients should be stored in the refrigerator.
• If using mozzarella balls instead of pearls, cut them in half.
• Other vegetables and fruit to experiment with include red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, corn, and peaches. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The ingredients will still stay good, but the bread will get soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1003IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg

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