This loaded panzanella salad is the perfect summer starter. It's chock full of garden fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and romaine lettuce. Oven fresh, crispy, seasoned croutons are tossed into the salad. Then the whole thing is tossed in a zesty red wine vinaigrette that is tangy, sweet and herby. If you have never tried a panzanella salad, you are in for a culinary treat.
What is a panzanella salad?
A panzanella salad is a Tuscan style bread and tomato salad that you can find all over Italy. It started as a way to use up old bread instead of wasting it. I just got back to Italy and I saw Panzanella salads everywhere. Most panzanella's are quite simple: toasted bread, flavorful tomatoes, a tangy vinaigrette. I like a loaded panzanella salad myself, because I prefer to fill up on vegetables and have bread as a little treat. My salad recipe is not exactly traditional but it is delicious.
Is Panzanella a side or a meal salad
Because a panzanella salad is basically veggies and bread, it is a side dish. If you want to make it a meal salad, that would be very easy to do. Just bulk up on the veggies and add some protein! This salad would be exceptional with some white beans. If you eat animal products, grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak would pair nicely. Even a crumble of some vegan feta or burrata cheese would taste delicious. Since I follow a vegan diet, I prefer grilled tofu or beans to bulk up my salads. Pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds would also go well.
Ingredients for Loaded Panzanella Salad
This salad has some really basic and easy to find ingredients. Since there is minimal cooking involved, it would be great for a hot summer night. Let's talk ingredients and preferred subs or additions.
- Bread- You can use whatever kind of day old bread you have on hand. I like ciabatta or baguette but any rustic bread will do. If you know you are buying bread for panzanella, I suggest cutting it into cubes when it's fresh and then letting it dry. It is much easier to cut!
- Extra Virgin Olive oil- Any Italian recipe needs a good olive oil with lots of flavor.
- Garlic powder- We use garlic powder to dust the croutons before baking to give them lots of flavor.
- Salt- Traditional Tuscan bread used for panzanella is not salted. Even if you aren't using real Italian bread, seasoning is a good idea.
- Garlic-Chopped fresh garlic gives the dressing a distinct flavor punch.
- Red wine vinegar- Red wine vinegar is tangy and perfect for this zesty vinaigrette. You can use balsamic or champagne vinegar if you prefer.
- Pure Maple Syrup- Maple syrup takes the edge off the vinegary pucker. Leave it out if you are avoiding added sweeteners.
- Italian seasoning- I love dried Italian seasoning as it covers all the flavor bases and infuses the dressing with zest.
- Romaine Lettuce-Romaine lettuce bulks this up with veggies. You can use arugula, iceberg, frisée, endive or whatever kind of greens you have on hand.
- Cherry tomatoes- I used multicolor garden tomatoes for this recipe. Feel free to use heirlooms, Romas, compari tomatoes. Use whichever are freshest and in season.
- Red Onion- I love the bite of red onion. If you are not a fan, just leave them out.
- Persian cucumber-Persian cucumbers are the best! They are not seedy, the peel is thin, and they don't release a lot of water.
- Bell pepper- We use raw peppers in this recipe for the color and crunch. Jarred roasted red peppers would be a delicious and convenient sub.
- Optional Add-ins- If you want to make this even more "Italian", add in some artichoke hearts and olives! You can even oven roast eggplant and cauliflower to bulk it up!
How to make a Loaded Panzanella Salad
This easy recipe requires very little cooking. It is simple enough for a beginner cook and is ready in 30 minutes or less. Here is how to make it:
- Make the Croutons- First, season the cubes of bread with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning and then put them on a sheet pan. Bake until crispy on the edges.
- Make the Dressing- In a blender or a jar, add garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, pure maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil. Been, which or shake until well combined.
- Chop all the veggies- Slice the onions thin, half the tomatoes, slice the cukes and dice the lettuce into bite sized pieces and then add them to a big old bowl.
- Optional step- For added flavor, add the onions to a bit of the dressing while you are making the salad. This way they have time to marinate and taste amazing.
- Toss the salad- Add the croutons to the bowl then bathe it all in the dressing. Toss well and serve within 30 minutes for best flavor and texture.
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Loaded Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
For Croutons
- 2 cups ciabatta bread cut in cubes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
- 1 pinch Salt
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
For Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin Oilve oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ea ground black pepper to your taste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
For Salad
- 2 romaine hearts cut in bite sized pieces
- ¼ red onion sliced thin
- 20 cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 baby bell peppers sliced thin
- 2 Persian cucumbers sliced
Instructions
For Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
- Add cubed bread to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil then season with salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Toss well and then bake until crispy on the edges and still slightly soft in the middle. Around 12-15 minutes.
For Dressing
- Make the dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning and pure maple syrup.
For Salad
- Optional step: For extra flavor, marinate the sliced onions in a half of the dressing while assembling the rest of the salad to give them some time to marinate.
- Add tomatoes, lettuce, bell peppers and cucumbers to a large bowl. Add the croutons, the onions and the dressing and toss well.
- Serve tossed salad within 30 minutes for best flavor and texture.