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CHOW: Recipes: Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)

Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad) Recipe

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Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: | Makes: 8 servings

This salad is a great way to use up leftover or slightly stale bread. The original is typically made with red wine vinegar and the saltless bread found throughout Tuscany. Our version has a light lemon vinaigrette and cucumbers added for another dimension.

What to buy:
Pull out your best extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe, as the quality becomes apparent after the first bite. We like to use McEvoy Ranch olive oil.

Game plan:
This dish is destined for leftover heaven—it gets better the longer the flavors are allowed to infuse.

If you’re having a hard time tearing the bread, toast it for a few minutes until it is soft again.

This recipe was featured as part of our Cooling Off story.

INGREDIENTS
  • Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
  • 9 cups day-old country bread, torn into large pieces
  • 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, large dice
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced Tropea (red torpedo) onions, or a sweet onion such as Maui or Vidalia
  • 2 medium English hothouse cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into large dice
  • 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Combine half of the vinaigrette with all of the bread, toss to coat well, and set aside at room temperature to marinate for about 10 minutes.
  2. When the bread has marinated, add the remaining vinaigrette and all the other measured ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix together until well incorporated. Let rest at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, then serve at room temperature.

Beverage pairing: Fernleaf Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand. The brisk lime, lemon, and grassy herbaceousness of this Sauvignon Blanc make a good match with the sharp notes of lemon, basil, onion, and tomato in the salad, while the wine’s lively acidity and energy will favorably contrast with the soft bread.

    Write a review | 17 Reviews
POST A COMMENT |17 Comments

COMMENT

  • "Tropea" is our family name and I've NEVER BEFORE SEEN IT in a recipe, so I'm thrilled to know that I'm a "Red Torpedo Onion"!! Thanks for the traditional Tuscan recipe and the family history info. Grazie mille.

  • It is truly addictive!! Everyone enjoyed it--what a great marriage of flavors!!

  • I have made this several times,but I make it with black olives and tuna packed in olive oil preferably Italian tuna

  • I am from Tuscany and I love that in summer especially with a lot of onions and vinegar
    !!! adorable
    Francesca

  • i made this salad, its very addictive. i have used this as a base for other salads as well. i first tried it with what ever i had in the fridge and some very good bread on hand.... its a great recipe, thank you.

  • Love the concept but I find the above version a bit skimpy of ingredients. I typically add articokes, red peppers, black olives, cubed pepperoni and torn herbs (not just basil but thyme, sage, mint). Nice base recipe tho and a good use of fresh bread.

  • I make something similar, but more in the way of a fried giant crouton salad. First I fry garlic slices (sometimes shallots, too) in extra virgin olive oil, remove the garlic, and fry the bread in the garlicky oil. Then assemble with tomatoes macerated in balsamic, the fried garlic and shallot, torn basil leaves, the best mozzarella I can get my hands on, and finely chopped sharp provolone....+READ

    I make something similar, but more in the way of a fried giant crouton salad. First I fry garlic slices (sometimes shallots, too) in extra virgin olive oil, remove the garlic, and fry the bread in the garlicky oil. Then assemble with tomatoes macerated in balsamic, the fried garlic and shallot, torn basil leaves, the best mozzarella I can get my hands on, and finely chopped sharp provolone. Sometimes I'll add proscuitto cotto or mortadella slivers. Totally inauthentic, but good.-COLLAPSE

  • I am really intrigued and can't wait to make this salad. I love the addition of shrimp and plan to add that as well as my own thought of toasted pine nuts along with the previously mentioned diced sweet bell peppers. The possibilities are endless!

  • Hi, I'm tuscan and the real panzanella is made with stale bread that must be softened in cold water and then using your hands water must be squeezed out, add tomatoes, onions, cucumbers,basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil, plenty and some red wine vinegar. Extremely simple and fast to make but certainly tastes better as time goes by...
    ...+READ

    Hi, I'm tuscan and the real panzanella is made with stale bread that must be softened in cold water and then using your hands water must be squeezed out, add tomatoes, onions, cucumbers,basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil, plenty and some red wine vinegar. Extremely simple and fast to make but certainly tastes better as time goes by...
    http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/blog/2009/05/08/tuscan-and-vegetarian-panzanella/-COLLAPSE

  • When I make panzanella, I typically use balsamic vinaigrette and love it - don't find it too overpowering at all. Being a cheese fiend, I also typically add some grated fresh parmesan, which works really well. Another great variation (and a way to make it a complete meal) is to add some grilled chicken.

  • SWEET! I have a huge loaf of stale garlicky bread. I didn't want to grind it all up into breadcrumbs. This is perfect!

  • The now closed Raphaels in Providence RI would make me a special panzanella salad with grilled rosemary shrimp and fennel that was to die for...

  • I'm traveling @ the moment, but one of my early Barefoot Contessa books has the best Panzanella recipes yet. I think it's in the "Parties" book (my favorite of all her books so far).

    The above method looks to work well; however, for the bread I've done the following...

    Heating good olive oil in a large sauté pan 1st, you add bread cubes and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing...+READ

    I'm traveling @ the moment, but one of my early Barefoot Contessa books has the best Panzanella recipes yet. I think it's in the "Parties" book (my favorite of all her books so far).

    The above method looks to work well; however, for the bread I've done the following...

    Heating good olive oil in a large sauté pan 1st, you add bread cubes and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.-COLLAPSE

  • I make it with balsamic + lemon juice, yum. Also - don't forget to toast the bread, otherwise it's too soggy.

  • I agree with MacArthur Mike. I sometimes toss in some bell peppers and/or fennel. It adds some crunch and with the fennel, a nice bright and fresh taste. I also like serving alongside it, if on hand, some good buffalo mozzarella drizzled with a good balsamic.

  • Don't know on the balsamic, might overpower some of the other flavors. Traditionally, this salad is made with olive oil and some red wine vinegar.

  • I made this last night. The salad was great, the Viaigrette too oily. In the future I would use a balsamic and add lemon and garlic.