• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Yellow Bliss Road

Easy, approachable and family friendly recipes for any home cook.

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Disclosure
    • Sharing Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Collaborate
  • Signup >
Display Search Bar
  • Recipes
    • View ALL Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Asian
    • Beverages
      • Smoothies
      • Cocktails
    • Bread
    • Breakfast Recipes
      • Casseroles
      • Egg Recipes
      • Muffins
      • Pancakes
    • Desserts
      • Brownies and Bars
      • Cake and Cupcakes
      • Cookies
      • Fruit Desserts
      • No Bake Desserts
    • Dinner
      • Casseroles
      • Easy Weeknight Dinners
      • One Pot Meals
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Chicken
      • Beef
      • Seafood
    • Lunch
      • Easy Weekday Lunches
      • School Lunches
    • Cooking Method
      • Air Fryer
      • On the Grill
      • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
      • Slow Cooker
    • Dips and Sauces
    • Mexican
    • Sandwiches
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
      • Vegetables
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups and Stews
  • Holiday Recipes
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Halloween
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Fall
      • Spring
      • Summer
  • Free Printables
    • Christmas
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Easter
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • School
    • Birthdays
  • Home/Crafts/DIY
    • Crafts and DIY
    • Gift Ideas
    • Home Decor
    • Photography Tips
  • Family
    • Adoption
      • My Adoption Story
    • Birthdays
    • Travel
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram!

Home » Recipes » Panzanella Salad

Panzanella Salad

Published on August 27, 2020 by Kristin Maxwell | 1 Comment

61shares
  • 61
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Panzanella Salad is a classic Italian bread salad with big chunks of crisp veggies, cheese, chunks of dried bread and a tangy Vinaigrette dressing. It is a light and filling meal or a hearty side dish.

white plate, chunks of bread, olives, tomatoes, cucumber and parmesan cheese, wooden spoon

Salads are a thing around here. My kids love them so much they’ve been known to eat them for breakfast! We always have a big bowl of my Garden Salad ready to go. Add some leftover chicken and Homemade Croutons and they are in heaven!

My new favorite salad is Panzanella. It’s a Tuscan vegetable and bread salad commonly made with tomatoes, onions and stale chunks of bread. Sometimes other veggies, like cucumbers, olives, and cheese are included. It’s kind of like making a salad with the croutons as the main event and I’m totally down for that!

How to Make a Panzanella Salad

  1. I recommend drying the bread out in the oven rather than just using stale bread, although either will work. Cut or tear a loaf of french bread into chunks and toss them with olive oil and salt. Bake at 275 for 20 minutes, or until they are slightly crunchy. You want them to be easy to chew and not too hard.
  2. While the bread is baking, wash and cut up all the veggies. I like cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in my panzanella. You can use any kind of tomatoes that you love. Sometimes I’ll use a mix of heirloom and grape tomatoes for different layers of flavor. I also will toss in some briny olives and fresh basil.
  3. Whisk together the vinaigrette dressing. If you have a favorite bottled vinaigrette or Italian dressing you could use that too. I prefer homemade dressings because they’re really easy to make and taste a lot better than bottled.
  4. Toss everything together and garnish with black pepper and fresh Parmesan shavings. The cheese is optional and could be omitted or replaced with Mozzarella if you like.

wood cutting board with tomatoes, peppers, olives, cucumbers, basil and bread

Panzanella Salad Recipe Tips

  • For the best flavor, let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes so the bread can soak up the dressing a little bit. Don’t let it sit too long or the bread will get soggy.
  • Only dress as much salad as you plan to eat right away. If you have leftover panzanella, the veggies and bread will be fine the next day, but only if undressed. Store the leftovers in an airtight container. Store extra dressing in a separate container. The salad will be good for a day, the dressing for a week or more.
  • Cut all of the veggies into a uniform bite-size for easier eating.
  • To make this salad a meal, add some protein like canned tuna, steak or baked chicken leftovers.

close up of bread salad with tomatoes and cucumber and olives

More Yummy Salads to Love

  • Classic Cobb Salad
  • Shrimp Avocado Salad
  • Mediterranean Green Bean Salad
a white bowl with bread and vegetables salad, wooden spoons, basil.

Panzanella Salad

Kristin Maxwell
Panzanella is a classic Italian bread salad with crisp veggies, cheese, chunks of dried bread and a tangy Vinaigrette dressing for a light and filling meal.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 428 kcal

Ingredients
  

Bread

  • 1 loaf French Bread
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt

Salad

  • 1 English cucumber cut in half lengthwise then sliced.
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes sliced in half
  • 3 heirloom or other larger tomatoes seeded and cut into bite-sized wedges
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 ounces whole or sliced black olives drained
  • 1/2 cup of fresh torn basil leaves or more to taste
  • ¼ cup Fresh Parmesan cheese shavings

Vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Cut the french bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, then sprinkle evenly with a teaspoon of salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until bread is crisp but not hard. Set aside to cool.
  • Toss tomatoes, onions, cucumber, olives, basil and parmesan in a large bowl.
  • Combine dressing ingredients together in a container with a tight fitting lid and shake until emulsified (oil and vinegar are fully combined); about 1 minute.
  • Add bread to the bowl with the vegetables and toss everything with the dressing until well coated. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
  • Garnish with fresh Parmesan shavings and fresh cracked black to serve.

Notes

  • For the bread, I recommend drying it yourself. Stale bread can be used but is more likely to absorb the dressing and become soggy. 
  • For the best flavor, let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes so the bread can soak up the dressing a little bit. Don't let it sit too long or the bread will get soggy. 
  • Only dress as much salad as you plan to eat right away. Store leftover salad and dressing separately in airtight containers. 
  • To make this salad a meal, add some protein like canned tuna, steak or baked chicken leftovers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 11gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 718mgPotassium: 531mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1434IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 3mg
Keyword panzanella
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Previous Post
Next Post

About Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook. Read more about Kristin HERE.

5 Secrets to Dinnertime Sanity

free email bonus
Tested, Tasted & Terrific!

Reader Interactions

Join the Conversation

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Mehndi says

    August 31, 2020 at 5:45 am

    This is my second time making it, and my family loves it. It came out delicious.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m KRISTIN!

I'm a busy wife and mom who loves to cook, bake and create. All of the recipes and tips you will find here are created with your busy family (and mine!) in mind.

Read More »
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Twitter! Follow me on Instagram! Email me!

5 Secrets to Dinnertime Sanity

free email bonus
Tested, Tasted & Terrific!

Mexican Food Faves

  • How to Make Authentic Mexican Rice
  • A close up of Beef Enchiladas topped with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro Ground Beef Enchiladas
  • Mexican Chicken Casserole
  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • mexican street corn dip, a hand holding a tortilla chip, roasted corn, cotija cheese and cilantro on top. image for social media Hot Mexican Corn Dip
  • caldo de pollo social media image Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
  • Cuban Sandwich Recipe
  • A cast iron skillet with Steak Fajitas Tender and Juicy Steak Fajitas

All-Time Favorites

  • Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
  • How to Make Authentic Mexican Rice
  • All-Natural Mattress Cleaner – How to Clean Odors and Stains from Your Mattress
  • A close up of cheesy scalloped potatoes Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Au Gratin)
  • Healthy Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl
  • Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
  • Cheesecake Cookies
  • One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet

Yellow Bliss Road, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Browse Around

  • Chicken
  • On the Grill
  • Pasta
  • Dinner
  • Soups
  • Sides
  • Salads
  • Desserts
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram!
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Collaborate
  • Privacy & Copyright
  • Recipes by Category
Copyright © 2021 Yellow Bliss RoadTheme by Once Coupled