Panzanella

Panzanella, or Italian bread salad, is a Tuscan favorite that's hard to resist. It's all about that perfect combo of crusty, day-old bread soaking up the juices from the ripest, juiciest tomatoes—once you start, it's impossible to stop.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Panzanella

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 12

Total Time 57

Servings

Calories 259kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Ingredients

6 cups cubed Italian bread or rustic bread (fresh or stale)
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes (about 3 lbs.), cut in chunks
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsps. red wine vinegar
2 tsps. minced garlic
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 medium yellow bell peppers, seeded and cubed
1 large seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1″ pieces
1/3 cup chopped parsley or basil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. (If your bread is already stale you can skip the oven step to stale your bread.)
Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment. Arrange bread cubes in a single-layer on pan. Toast in oven 10 to 12 minutes, tossing once, until evenly browned.
6 cups cubed Italian bread or rustic bread (fresh or stale)
Meanwhile, put tomatoes, onion, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices. Toss occasionally.
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes (about 3 lbs.), cut in chunks, 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced, 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tbsps. red wine vinegar, 2 tsps. minced garlic, 1 tsp table salt, 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Add peppers, cucumber and parsley to tomatoes. Let stand at least 15 minutes for flavors to blend. Just before serving, add bread cubes; toss to blend thoroughly.
2 medium yellow bell peppers, seeded and cubed, 1 large seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1″ pieces, 1/3 cup chopped parsley or basil

Notes

For optimal outcomes when making this Panzanella salad, I recommended referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition