Juicy, ripe tomatoes, thin ribbons of cucumber, fresh basil, and rustic bread, dressed in a simple homemade vinaigrette. The Italians know how to do salads! This classic panzanella salad recipe, (Tuscan tomato and bread salad) is simple, refreshing, and hearty enough to be a meal on its own. Perfect for those hot summer days. Plus it’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
The heart and soul of a classic panzanella salad really is the rustic, stale bread. The tomatoes and other ingredients are merely there to flavour the bread. Think of it as a bruschetta salad!
And, interestingly enough, panzanella salad wasn’t traditionally made with tomatoes. It was mainly a salad of bread and onion. And that’s because tomatoes were introduced to Italy by the Spanish in the 16th century. So Italian cuisine didn’t have tomatoes up until a few hundred years ago! Just think of a classic Italian potato pizza (pizza con patate) for instance. So strange to imagine Italian food without tomatoes – food history is so fascinating!
Like all comfort food, panzanella’s origins are humble – originally designed to feed Tuscan peasants by using day-old, stale bread. But all that to say, this classic panzanella salad recipe is, at its heart, a celebration of bread!
Why You’ll Love this Classic Panzanella Salad Recipe:
It’s Easy and Quick
The whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes – and for half that time you’re just waiting for bread to toast! And the process is so darn easy. Just cut up your salad ingredients, toast your bread, make the vinaigrette, and mix! Italian food is all about simplicity!
Full of Flavour
This classic panzanella salad recipe uses flavourful ingredients like red wine vinegar, capers, and, importantly, a good-quality extra virgin olive oil. I think this is mandatory in simple dishes like this! The use of these bold flavours is what makes this salad something that truly stands out! And using a good-quality, peppery olive oil makes a difference to the flavour of the entire salad – trust me.
It Uses Just a Few Basic Ingredients
Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, basil, stale bread – nothing fancy here! The beauty of a panzanella salad is that it uses everyday ingredients that you’d find in many salads. What makes it special are the little bursts of salty, briny capers, and the flavourful vinaigrette with garlic. Simple, and delicious!
Ingredients for this Classic Panzanella Salad Recipe
The star of the show is stale, rustic bread. I use stale sourdough bread for this recipe, but ciabatta also works well! You want a rustic, crusty bread that won’t go soggy the moment you dress the salad! And of course, you’ll need juicy, ripe tomatoes. I use a mix of tomato varieties, including heirloom and cherry tomatoes – but use whatever you like! You’ll also need cucumbers, red onions, capers, fresh basil and salt. And finally, for the vinaigrette, you’ll need good-quality extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and importantly – the reserved juice from salting the tomatoes!
How to Make Panzanella Salad
Once you cut your tomatoes, you sprinkle some salt and let them sit in a colander over a bowl. This catches all the tomato juice we’ll need for the vinaigrette. Meanwhile, tear the bread into chunks, drizzle with olive oil, and toast in the oven lightly for 15 minutes, just to dry it out further. This prevents it from turning into soggy mush in the salad. Then just slice up your red onions, shave some cucumber ribbons (or just slice them, if you prefer!).
Let the tomatoes drained for about 10-15 minutes. Then, take the tomato juice, and whisk in your minced garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl, toss in the toasted bread, the fresh basil, the capers, and finally, the vinaigrette. Give everything a good mix – use your hands! Honestly, they are the best tools for the job. No need to be delicate! There’s no Italian nonnas out there using salad tossers for this one, I can guarantee you that! Finally, let the bread soak up all those delicious flavours for up to 30 minutes – it will soften the more you leave it. Then sit back, and enjoy your classic panzanella salad!
I truly hope you love this recipe! xxx
Classic Panzanella Salad Recipe (Tuscan Tomato & Bread Salad)
Ingredients
Method
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Preheat your oven to 150°C fan.
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Slice up your tomatoes and place into a colander sitting over a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the tomatoes, give them a mix, and let them sit for 10-15 minutes, letting any juice drain into the bowl.
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Meanwhile, tear your stale bread into bite-sized chunks, and place onto a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and place into the oven for 15 minutes to lightly toast and dry out.
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Finely slice your red onions, and using a vegetable peeler, shave thin ribbons of cucumber (or, simply slice them if you prefer). Place the onions, cucumber, capers, and basil leaves into a large bowl, along with the sliced tomatoes, and toasted bread.
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Take the bowl of reserved tomato juice, and add in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Mince your garlic cloves into the dressing, and whisk until you have an emulsified vinaigrette.
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Pour the vinaigrette over your panzanella salad, and use your hands to gently toss everything together. Let it sit for up to 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the dressing, or simply enjoy immediately!
