Panzanella Salad (Everything you need to know)

Panzanella Salad is a quick and easy salad made from tomatoes and (often stale) bread. Also known as Italian Bread Salad or Panmolle it is an  effortless way to make an impressive salad.

Recipes like our Bruschetta with Feta and Grilled Chicken Bruschetta deliver light and easy meals which come together effortlessly.

Be it a weekend BBQ, side dish for fish or chicken, this easy summer salad suits many occasions.

Salad recipes like our Caprese Salad, Edamame Quinoa Salad, Boiled Egg Salad and Burrata Salad are fresh and zesty!

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What does Panzanella mean?

Panzanella refers to the pairing of bread and salad, having Tuscan Origins using tomatoes and a simple dressing.

Often served with red wine vinegar, it is a well balanced light salad that is filled out with torn pieces of crusty toasted bread.

This salad is most often served cold, but the bread can be freshly toasted from the oven given the salad a warm comforting appeal!

What do you serve with Panzanella Salad?

As this salad is light and versatile, it has a number of serving options that suit.

You can serve it with chicken, fish, ham or roast lamb. Or on its own as a light lunch!

It can be made and kept drizzle free, then topped with the dressing when you are read to serve it.

Take it to a BBQ, pot luck or picnic! This salad works for so many occasions.

Panzanella Salad ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and easy to find. They are set out in the photo below so you can see exactly what you need:

As you can see, we have:

• bread (I use a crusty white loaf)
• cherry tomatoes
• medley tomatoes
• grape tomatoes
• basil leaves
• anchovies
• capers
• salt (can use sea salt, regular is fine if you don't have)
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil

When choosing your tomatoes, try to go for a variety of colours, shapes and sizes, this will add to the visual appeal of the salad!

How to make Panzanella Salad

The photos below are the easy step by step instructions you need to bring this dish together: 

1. Use a knife to slice the bread in half (Photo 1)
2. Lay it on a lined baking tray and spray with cooking oil, bake till toasted, 5-10 mins (Photo 2)
3. Use a knife to chop tomatoes in half (Photo 3)
4. Add chopped tomatoes to a bowl and season with salt (Photo 4)

I don't use pepper for this salad, just a little sprinkle of salt (sea salt if you have) to season the tomatoes

The spray oil helps get the bread all crispy and delicious also known as the crunch factor! 

• Add basil leaves to tomatoes (Photo 5)
• Then drizzle olive oil over tomato basil mix (Photo 6)
• Add capers to salad (Photo 7)
• Followed by anchovies (Photo 8)

The anchovies and capers give both taste and texture to this salad. Whilst they are not traditional to every Panzanella Salad recipe, they are seriously delicious additions!

• Remove bread from oven once toasted, use a knife to cut (Photo 9)
• Then use fingers to tear the strips into rough pieces (Photo 10)

Warm Panzanella Salad

Each time I have made this salad, I have waited till the very last minute to remove the baking tray with bread from the oven.

There is something seriously delicious about warm, toasted, crunchy bread with the tomato salad, drizzled with vinegar which sops into the bread!

If you are not looking to serve your salad straight away, keep the toasting of the bread and drizzling with red wine vinegar till last.

That way your salad won't be soggy and your bread will be warm, toasted and delicious!

Easy Panzanella Salad Bruschetta info

About the recipe:

• there is 9 total ingredients for this recipe!
• substitute spinach or rocket leaves for the basil if you wish
• use the full loaf of bread to bulk the salad up further (larger salad)
• you can use your favourite bread, rye, sourdough, white, etc

FAQs about warm Panzanella Salad

1. this is a quick, easy and simple recipe! 
2. you can serve this as a warm salad by adding the toasted bread at the end! 
3. medley tomatoes are a mixed bag of colours and sizes
4. the red wine vinegar has a sweet unique taste

Your quick questions answered:

1. the capers and anchovies are not essential but add flavour and texture!
2. don't dress the salad till ready to serve
3. the recipe takes approx 15 - 20 mins 
4. this salad is perfect for BBQ's or alongside fish, chicken or lamb

Expert tips:

These tips are to help you master this recipe from the 1st time you make it:

• Use a knife and chopping board for the tomato and bread prep
• No need to chop the basil, add the full leaves as they are!
• The bread won't have any softness if you cut it into pieces before toasting, toast the ½ loaf and tear to reveal soft fluffy bread
• Do all of the prep but hold off dressing till ready to serve to avoid soggyness

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The bursts of the capers contrast beautifully with the salty chewy anchovies and each mouthful is pure bliss!

Light and Easy meals

If entertaining, brunching and lunching are your thing, try these ideas:

1. Grilled Chicken Bruschetta
2. Bruschetta with Feta
3. Caprese Bruschetta

Or if a healthy wrap for lunch is calling your name, my Haloumi Wrap will tick all of your boxes! Or the Caprese Bites if you are in a snack type mood!

Salad recipes to try:

• Caprese Salad (with only 6 ingredients)
• Roast Chicken Salad (using store bought chicken)
• Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad
• Chicken Cucumber Salad

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Appetizer recipes

I am sharing this one with you as it is quick, easy and delicious!

It will have your back on its own, come BBQ, chicken, fish, or grilled meats.

The intention for this recipe is to deliver taste, texture and a light vinegar zesty-ness that is not in an everyday garden salad.

Using your bread to soak up the juices is the highlight of this recipe, alongside the crunchy, flaky bread crumbs as they float down onto the plate.

Please give me a shout if you have questions or make the recipe as I would love to hear your feedback.

Tomato salad, red wine vinegar and toasted crunchy bread, let's go to heaven my friends!

Adrianne x

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Bruschetta with feta Grilled Chicken Bruschetta Caprese Bruschetta 

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