Filled with ripe, juicy tomatoes and crusty bread, this panzanella salad is a delicious summer meal. A shower of fresh basil takes it over the top.
This classic panzanella is one of the recipes I make most often throughout the summer. In this Tuscan bread salad, cubes of dry Italian bread mingle with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and savory onions. A big handful of basil and a zingy vinaigrette tie it all together.
Panzanella has humble roots. It originated in the Tuscany region of Italy as a way to use up stale bread. But its simple ingredients create a salad that’s so much more than the sum of its parts. The dried-out bread soaks up the tomato juices and tangy dressing, softening and absorbing all that fresh summer flavor.
In July and August, I make this panzanella recipe as often as I can. This tomato bread salad is one of the best ways to celebrate peak tomato season. If you’re new to panzanella, I hope you’ll try it this summer. I think you’ll love it too!
How to Make a Panzanella Salad
You can find the complete panzanella recipe with measurements below, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:
Start by drying out the bread in the oven.
Traditionally, panzanella is made with stale bread. But I’ve found that I like it best when I start with fresh bread cubes and toast them in the oven before adding them to the salad.
This way, you’re able to control the bread’s texture. It should be crisp around the edges and slightly soft in the middle. Of course, you can start with stale bread too—just adjust the bake time as necessary to reach the right texture!
- Tip: Use good crusty bread. Great bread is essential for making a great panzanella. Make sure to use a good crusty loaf. I like ciabatta or sourdough.
Then, make the dressing.
At the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, sherry or red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper to make the homemade dressing.
The dressing will taste sharp on its own, but that’s a good thing! The bread can soak up quite a bit of flavor, so we want the dressing to have a nice punch.
Toss together the salad.
Add the onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and bread to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. If you like, you can also add some torn fresh mozzarella cheese for creaminess. Add the basil and gently toss.
- Tip: Use peak-season summer tomatoes. Fresh, ripe tomatoes are essential for a great panzanella. The sweeter and tangier they are, the more flavorful the dressing will be. I like to use a mix of heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.
Season to taste and serve!
This panzanella is great right after you toss it together. It’s even better when you let it sit for 30 minutes before serving, giving the toasted bread a chance to soak up the flavorful dressing and tomato juices.
But I don’t recommend making it more than a couple of hours in advance. If it sits for too long, the bread will get soggy.
What to Serve with Panzanella
Thanks to the hearty bread and mozzarella, this panzanella salad is a great lunch or light dinner on its own. If you’re looking for something to pair with it, I recommend grilled eggplant or zucchini to round out the meal. It would also go nicely with any protein you like.
Enjoy!
More Favorite Summer Salads
If you love this panzanella recipe, try one of these fresh summer salads next:
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Tomato Salad
- Classic Caprese Salad
- Niçoise Salad
- Greek Salad
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Panzanella
Ingredients
- ½ pound ciabatta or sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1½ pounds tomatoes, sliced into wedges or halved
- ½ English cucumber, sliced into half moons
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn (optional)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for garnish
- Sea salt
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Heaping ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the bread on the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and spread evenly on the sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until crisp around the edges.
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Add the onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and bread to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Add the cheese, if using, and the basil and gently toss. Season to taste and serve with more fresh basil on top.
Perfect summer lunch — simple, delicious, and adaptable! I didn’t have basil so made a mustard and dill dressing and it worked well but I’ll definitely be coming back to try as-written. I used the Schar brand gluten free baguette and toasted some chickpeas with the bread. I also added a soft-boiled egg for some extra oomph! I’m looking forward to riffing on this for the rest of tomato season!
This salad is literally summer in a bowl. So fresh and satisfying! We will be making this many times this summer. Thank you!!
So fresh and light, very easy to make but looks complicated! This has turned into a favorite recipe!
So delicious and easy! Perfect way to use my farmer’s market tomatoes 😋
Yum! And an excellent use of fresh produce from the garden!
This salad is delicious! I will definitely double the recipe the next time we have guests over. The combination of ingredients and dressing is perfect. Thank you 🙏
This was outstanding! Adding the sea salt to the bread and toasting it was the BEST tip! We certainly didn’t have to worry about the bread getting soggy with how fast my family devoured it!
So glad it was a hit, Melanie!
super easy to make and delicious with all the in season veggies! i added 2 ears of raw corn because i love her corn panzanella salad so much and wanted to combine flavors! perfect salad with a sandwich for lunch
I’m so glad you loved it, Paige! (And the corn panzanella too!)
Love a panzella. Especially love this panzella
So glad you love it, Rebecca!
For another time, I choose your panzanella salad over any other. I have never been dissapointed in any of your recipes! Thank you. Delicious summer salad and one we really love here in Greece.
Hi Foteini, I’m so glad you love the recipes!
You can’t go wrong with this! I toasted my bread in the air fryer to save heating up the kitchen too much! And I topped it with air fried tofu chunks instead of cheese.
Hi Elisa, what a fun twist! An air fryer is a total lifesaver in the summer!
A lovely cold salad to make in the summer. With the toasted bread (I used ciabotta.) I added 1 cup of torn mint leaves and a teaspoon of Aleppo pepper (I’m sure hot red pepper flakes will do as well). These additions made it zingy!
Hi Ilona, what yummy additions! So glad you loved it.
Did a Mediterranean twist on the original recipe by adding mint, feta, and olives. The perfect hot summer day lunch! Also used gluten free toast, extra toasted, and the natural dryness of the GF bread made an excellent sponge for the dressing
Hi Allie, this sounds like a delicious twist! So glad you enjoyed it!
Simple, fun, and authentic.
What a wonderful recipe. I added a bit extra red wine vinegar and used only one clove of garlic. I also added some arugula. It was absolutely delicious and I will definitely be making it again!
That sounds delicious, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe! I don’t do dairy so I’ve gone without, used avocado in place of the mozzarella (I’m sure very un-traditional, but tastes delicious), and also used a good recipe for vegan mozzarella, and it’s great every time.
Hi Kate, I’m so glad you loved it!
Fantastic! I added plums and fresh corn – and made it with balsamic as I was out of red wine vinegar. Really really delicious. Thanks!
My first time making panzanella! Loved the combination and using toasted bread. I added a peach which made it feel extra summery.
Hi Julia, I’m so glad you loved it!
I just came in from outside and a panzanella lunch. One thing we do is to cube up the bread and toast in in a dry frying pan on the stovetop. Faster and doesn’t heat up the house. Today, our salad had fresh basil and cilantro from the garden as well as a few barely hot Serrano chilis, along with some fresh chopped spinach. Wonderful with the other ingredients you list above. Thanks for posting.
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome