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With crispy, olive oil-soaked Italian bread, juicy tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, panzanella makes a satisfying summer supper.
As the summer heat cranks up, I love the idea of serving salad for dinner—and nothing satisfies quite like a hearty bread salad, such as panzanella. This rustic Tuscan dish combines crispy, olive oil-soaked bread, juicy tomatoes, a medley of fresh veggies, fresh basil, and a garlicky vinaigrette. Originally conceived to repurpose stale bread, panzanella is so incredibly delicious that I’m more than willing to grab a fresh loaf to make it. To me, this salad holds its own as the ultimate light summer supper. However, to appease my meat-and-potatoes-loving husband, I usually pair it with something light yet protein-packed, like grilled pesto shrimp or lemony grilled chicken breasts. The recipe is adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties.
What You’ll Need To Make Panzanella Salad
There are endless versions of panzanella but they all start with good, hearty Italian bread and tomatoes. This version also includes bell peppers, cucumbers, capers, and lots of fresh basil. Instead of the more typical red onions, I use shallots, which have a milder flavor.
How To Make Panzanella Salad
Begin by cutting the bread into 1-inch cubes. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Most recipes, including the one this is based on, will have you rest the salad for up to a few hours to allow the bread to soak up the dressing. I prefer the bread crispy, so I toss it at the last minute and reserve some to sprinkle over the salad as a garnish.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, capers, wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup oil.
Toss well.
Right before serving, add two-thirds of the toasted bread and basil to the salad.
Toss to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Don’t be shy with the salt, as this salad begs for a lot of seasoning.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining toasted bread cubes over top. Serve immediately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
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Panzanella Salad
With crispy, olive oil-soaked Italian bread, juicy tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, panzanella makes a satisfying summer supper.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 cups rustic Italian bread, cut into 1-in cubes (about ¾ lb)
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1½ pounds tomatoes, cut into 1-in cubes (about 2 large)
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut into 1-in cubes
- 1 small English or hothouse cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons finely minced shallots, from 1 large shallot
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and ½ teaspoon salt; toss well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, capers, wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, pepper, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ cup oil. Toss well.
- Right before serving, add two-thirds of the toasted bread and basil to the salad. Toss to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary (I usually add about ¼ tsp more salt). Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining toasted bread cubes over top. Serve immediately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 327
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 497 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.