Panzanella Salad

If there was ever a salad that proves food doesn’t have to look perfect to taste incredible, it’s Panzanella. Made with chunks of crusty bread, juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a simple dressing, this rustic Italian salad is a great way to use up stale bread.

You might have seen beautifully styled Panzanella salads online, with every ingredient perfectly positioned and not a crumb out of place. I have resisted the temptation to do that here.

A Panzanella salad is supposed to be rustic. It’s meant to look a little messy. The bread softens in the dressing, the tomatoes release all their lovely juices, and everything gets gloriously jumbled together.

Which is exactly what makes it so delicious…

So if your tomatoes burst, your bread collapses in the dressing, and everything is messily jumbled together? Perfect. You’ve done it right.

what is panzanella?

Traditional Italian Panzanella is a Tuscan bread salad made from stale rustic bread (PLEASE don’t even think about using a standard supermarket sliced loaf), ripe tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar.

This version keeps the spirit of the original but adds sliced red onion, capers, olives, fresh garlic and lots of fresh basil.

What bread is best for Panzanella?

Traditionally, Panzanella is made with stale Tuscan bread, but any sturdy, crusty loaf will work really well. I prefer to use sourdough because it holds its shape well while soaking up all the delicious tomato juices and dressing.

Other good options include Ciabatta, rustic white bread or baguette. Whatever bread you choose, it’s best if it’s a day or two old, as fresh bread can turn soggy very quickly.

How to make it

1.Tear up the bread. Don’t bother getting the bread knife out or worry about cutting it into perfect cubes. Tear it into bite size pieces. If your bread isn’t stale, bake it in the oven on a baking tray at 180C/160Fan for 10-15 minutes until light golden and dry around the edges.

2. Make the base of the dressing. Roughly chop the tomatoes, toss with some salt, then transfer them to a colander, set over a bowl, to drain for 20-30 minutes.

3. Make the dressing. Whisk together 1 tablespoon of the tomato juices with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar, a small clove of minced garlic and a generous grinding of freshly ground black pepper. Taste it before adding to the salad – it should have a kick, but once it hits the bread and tomatoes, it will mellow beautifully.

4. Combine everything. Place the tomatoes, bread pieces, olives, capers, red onion, and basil in a large serving bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss well so that everything is coated.

5. Let it sit. This is an important part. Leave the salad for at least 20 minutes so the dressing soaks into the bread. After about 20 minutes, check it. If the bread looks a little dry in parts, drizzle with more olive oil before serving.

Tips and recipe notes

• Use ripe tomatoes. This salad relies heavily on the flavour of the tomatoes. If they are watery and flavourless, the salad won’t be good. Summer tomatoes or Heritage/homegrown tomatoes are perfect.

• Taste before serving. The bread will absorb the dressing pretty quickly, so the salad might need a pinch of salt or splash of vinegar before serving.

• It’s meant to look rustic. Panzanella is a classic example of cucina povera – the Italian tradition of creating delicious meals from simple, inexpensive ingredients. Originating in Tuscany, it was a practical way of using up stale bread rather than letting it go to waste. Like many peasant dishes, Panzanella relies on a handful of humble ingredients, and by the way, you don’t have to add capers and olives, proving that the best dishes are often the simplest.

serving suggestions

This salad is lovely alongside Roast Chicken, Salmon or any grilled or cold meats. It would also be wonderful with this puff pastry tomato and pesto tart, or my Ratatouille quiche. But to be honest, it’s flavourful enough to serve on its own for a simple light meal.

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Yield: Serves 4

Panzanella

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Panzanella Salad is a rustic Italian dish that transforms stale bread and ripe Summer tomatoes into something truly delicious. With olives, capers, sliced red onion, fresh basil and a red wine vinaigrette, this easy salad makes a wonderful light meal or side dish.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 600g of the ripest, juiciest tomatoes you can find - I like to use a mix of varieties
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 small loaf rustic bread, torn into bite size pieces (never sliced - I like to use sourdough)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 100g pitted black olives
• a handful of fresh basil, torn into small pieces, plus a few whole leaves to garnish

Instructions

1. Chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Place them in a bowl, then sprinkle over the salt. Transfer them to a colander and place the bowl underneath to drain for about 20-30 minutes. The tomato juice will form the base of the dressing, so please don't discard it.
2. To make the dressing, whisk 1 tablespoon of the tomato liquid with the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, pepper and olive oil. Taste the dressing in case you want to add more vinegar, pepper or salt. If you find the dressing quite sharp, you could add a pinch of sugar.
3. Place the tomatoes, red onion, bread pieces, capers, black olives and fresh basil in a large serving bowl. Pour over the dressing and using your hands, toss well to combine everything. The bread needs to soak up a lot of dressing, so leave it for about 20-30 minutes, then check in case you need to add more olive oil. When you're ready to serve, pour over any remaining tomato juices and top with the whole fresh basil leaves.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 144Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 1127mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g

Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.

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