Summery Panzanella Salad (Tuscan-style Tomato and Bread Salad)

This Panzanella Salad (aka Tuscan-style tomato and bread salad) combines red onions, cucumber, and tomatoes with hearty toasted bread in a simple salad dressing for a delicious and nutritious summery salad! All you need is 8 ingredients and 25 minutes to prepare this simple, flavor-packed Italian bread salad!

If you’re looking for a simple, fresh, and summer salad perfect for tomato season, you’ve found it with this Panzanella salad recipe. This Tuscan-style tomato and bread salad is super simple to prepare with a small list of ingredients. Yet it’s also hearty from the bread and is surprisingly complex in flavor.

Like Middle Eastern Fattoush salad and Fatteh, this Panzanella salad (also called panmolle) was initially created to bring new life to leftover stale/dry bread (like Gazpacho, too!). Though, these days, it’s also another delicious salad that highlights ripe and juicy tomatoes!

And everyone knows how much I love simple, fresh tomato dishes like Caprese salad (and burrata caprese), Shirazi salad, a simple tomato and cucumber salad. However, this recipe for Panzanella focuses on the bread as the main ingredient, flavored with the extra ingredients – rather than a salad and crouton type of situation. Either way, you’re sure to love it!

What is Panzanella?

Panzanella salad (also called panmolle) is an Italian bread salad originating in Tuscany. It combines tomatoes, onions, and soaked stale bread for a simple summer salad.

The name is thought to have come from “pane,” Italian for bread, and “zanella,” which is a deep plate (how the salad was served). Initially, the salad was onion and bread-based, though tomatoes were more commonly introduced over the years.

Now, traditional options contain soaked bread with red onion, tomato, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. It also often contains cucumber and basil.

I’ve kept this recipe for Panzanella fairly close to the current traditional “standard” apart from the soaked bread. Having tried several versions, I far prefer lightly toasting the bread then marinating it in the dressing rather than soaking and squeezing it first, for better texture and flavor.

While the oil in the dressing helps the bread avoid soaking up too much liquid, the natural juice from the rest of the salad ingredients will somewhat begin to soak up to add extra flavor to the bread.

The Ingredients

• Bread: this bread salad is perfect for using slightly stale/dry, day-old bread. I like to use a crusty loaf like country bread. Ciabatta, baguette, and rustic sourdough will also work.
• Tomatoes: use any ripe, juicy, in-season tomatoes like vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes. You could also use cherry or grape tomatoes. Make sure to chop them accordingly (smaller ones can be halved, larger ones into bite-sized pieces).
• Onion: use red onions, which are sweeter in flavor. Traditionally Tropea onions (Cipolla di Tropea) are used.
• Cucumber: it’s best to use low-seed varieties like Persian cucumbers. If the cucumber is very seedy, you may want to scoop out the seeds before slicing it.
• Basil: makes for a wonderful garnish added right before serving.
• Garlic: I use whole garlic cloves to rub over the toasted bread for flavor. Alternatively, you can mince the garlic to add it to the salad dressing.
• The dressing: white wine vinegar with olive oil and salt (and optionally pepper) makes for a simple, flavorful dressing.

Optional add-ins and variations

While I’m all for trying things the traditional way, one of the fantastic things about this Panzanella salad is that it’s super versatile and stands up well to lots of tweaking and add-ins. Here are some of my favorite options:

• Mozzarella/Burrata: for added protein and fats, creamy soft cheese like mozzarella (or vegan mozzarella or mozzarella pearls) or burrata work well with this Panzanella salad.
• Capers/Olives: add a salty, tangy, briny flavor. You can add one or the other or a mixture of the two.
• Avocado: an excellent dairy-free option for adding in extra healthy fats.
• Bell peppers: to add more freshness and crunch. Roasted peppers would also work.
• Leafy greens: for more of a leafy green salad, feel free to add in shredded lettuce or other leafy greens like spinach, arugula, baby greens, etc.
• Celery: like bell peppers, the addition of celery adds extra freshness and crunch.
• Summer Squash/Zucchini: a fresh, simple addition to any summery salad. Grilled, roasted, or raw works!
• Corn: particularly grilled corn adds an extra depth of slightly smoky flavor to this Panzanella salad recipe. However, ungrilled corn will work too.
• Protein: there are several ways to add protein to this bread salad, including boiled eggs or meats like tuna, fish, shrimp, tofu, or chicken.
• Herbs: you could swap out the basil for oregano or parsley.

How to Make Panzanella Salad

Step 1: Prepare the bread 

First, slice the bread into smaller pieces, then brush lightly with a bit of oil and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC until lightly toasted with a crisp shell and slightly chewy middle.

If the bread is very stale (hard), then I recommend sprinkling it lightly with a bit of water before baking, and this will help it soften a little. Alternatively, you can pan-fry the bread pieces for 8-10 minutes with a bit of oil until crispy.

After removing the bread from the oven, allow it to cool slightly, then brush each piece with a bit of garlic (just rub the clove directly onto the bread).

Step 2: Prepare the remaining ingredients

Meanwhile, while the bread toasts, chop the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and lightly salt them (so they release their juices), and leave them to drain in a colander for 10-15 minutes (while the bread bakes).

This is an important step as the drained tomatoes will improve in texture and flavor.

Thinly slice the red onion and cucumber and transfer them to a large salad/serving bowl.

Prepare the dressing by combining olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper (optional). You can alternatively add these ingredients directly into the salad bowl before tossing.

For a little more flavor, feel free to add some of the drained tomato juice to the dressing and adjust the salt accordingly (you may not need any extra).

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Step 3: Assemble the bread salad

For more of a traditional Panzanella, rub the bread with the tomatoes until they are mashed. Then, in a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, add the dressing, and then lightly toss to combine.

Leave the salad to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will allow all the flavors to meld and produce a better flavor without the bread becoming too soggy.

For more of a complete meal, feel free to add some protein like cheese (burrata or mozzarella) to this Panzanella salad recipe, though this isn’t “traditional.”

How to Make Ahead and Store 

Make ahead: while I recommend leaving the salad to ‘marinate’ for 30 minutes, you can do so for up to four hours – meaning it’s a great option to make ahead earlier in the day before serving.

Store: this bread salad isn’t particularly great at leaving leftovers due to the risk of super soggy bread. If you want to spread the salad over a couple of days, I recommend only adding bread to the portion you want to serve each time, saving the rest covered in the refrigerator.

How to Serve?

This Tuscan-style bread salad is perfect for serving up as a side or main during the summer months.

Beef it up into more of a complete meal with the addition of healthy fats and protein (like Mozzarella/Burrata cheese or your protein of choice).

I love serving it as a side dish to any cookout/BBQ as it pairs well with grilled veggies and proteins!

You can also serve it as a side to heartier dishes like pasta, lasagna, and eggplant parmesan.

Recipe Notes & Variations

• Soaking the bread: the most traditional method for Panzanella requires you to soak the bread for 10-15 minutes, then squeeze out the excess liquid. Feel free to do this if you prefer. However, I far prefer the toasted method for texture and flavor.
• Why toast the bread? This is important for textural reasons. While day-old bread is already starting to dry, toasting the bread achieves crusty pieces with a slightly chewy middle. When combined with the salad ingredients, this bread is less likely to become soggy too quickly (which I prefer).
• Experiment with add-ins: the base recipe I’ve shared for this Panzanella salad recipe is close to a traditional version (except for the lack of bread soaking). However, this salad really works well with tons of add-ins without “ruining” the salad. So feel free to experiment with adding any of your garden/summer bounty and what’s in your crisper drawer.

More Fresh Tomato Recipes

• Italian Bruschetta Recipe (Tomato Bruschetta)
• Mozzarella Bruschetta (Caprese Bruschetta)
• Healthy Tomato and Cucumber Salad
• Classic Caprese Salad
• Shirazi Salad (Persian Cucumber Onion Tomato Salad)
• Easy Gazpacho Recipe (Cold Tomato Soup)
• Tomato Juice (3 Methods)
• Simple Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Grilled Peach Burrata Salad with Tomatoes (Peach Caprese Salad)

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If you try this Panzanella salad recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!