If defining a single dish as the perfect salad of summer, panzanella would be a top contender. It’s bright, colourful, fresh and a breeze to put together. And if you’re a fan of croutons: this is quite literally a crouton salad.

For this panzanella recipe, we added a subtle twist that gives another dimension to an already delicious salad.

Whether you’ve never tasted panzanella or have loved it for years, once you make it this way, you’ll never want to go back!

For a more detailed step-by-step procedure, scroll past the recipe card.

Tomato and bread salad on a white plate

Grilled Sourdough Panzanella Salad

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved
  • 10 slices Day-Old Sourdough Bread, 1 inch thick
  • 3 Shallots, sliced thin
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus a little extra for brushing bread
  • 2 Tbsp cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (packed) Basil Leaves
  • Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Brush bread slices with a bit of olive oil and grill over high heat until toasted and grill marked. Set aside to cool.
  2. Mix olive oil, vinegar, shallots and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust according to your liking.
  3. Toss tomatoes in the vinaigrette. Cut the grilled bread into bite sized pieces and add to the tomatoes.
  4. Tear basil leaves into small pieces and toss with the rest of the salad. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 797Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1154mgCarbohydrates: 134gFiber: 7gSugar: 46gProtein: 20g

We are not certified nutritionists and make no claims to be so. The nutritional information given here is intended for informational purposes only. These nutritional calculations are rounded numbers dependant on the certain ingredients and amounts in the recipe and are by no means perfect.


Where does Panzanella Come From

Panzanella is a classic Italian salad from the Tuscany region. Like many great recipes throughout history, panzanella comes from humble beginnings. It began as a simple farmer’s meal — usually breakfast or lunch.

Workers would gather a few simple ingredients on their way in from the fields and toss them with some leftover bread and a bit of dressing. It was a quick, no-nonsense meal that cost next to nothing.

Orange, yellow and red grape tomatoes on a wooden cutting board.
You don’t need fancy tomatoes, but they sure look good!

What Goes In Panzanella?

Unlike the salad we recognize today, panzanella actually began without tomatoes. At the time of its origin, onions were the main vegetable.

Today, there are all kinds of variations of this classic recipe. You could easily add fresh cucumbers, peppers, olives or even cheese. However, the beauty of this salad is the incredible flavour from simple ingredients.

To make this panzanella recipe, you will need:

  • Grape or Cherry Tomatoes; if you can get ahold of a variety of colours it really brightens up the look
  • Fresh Basil; dry will absolutely not work here
  • Day-old Sourdough Bread. Day-old works best because it absorbs more of the dressing and doesn’t get too soggy.
  • Shallots
  • Garlic
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Red Wine Vinegar
  • Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Ingredient Substitutions

The only ingredient here that could be difficult to find, depending on your local stores, is the sourdough. Technically any day-old bread will work here, but sourdough is the best!

This is one of those recipes where ingredient quality matters a little more than usual. You’ll be tasting every individual ingredient as part of the whole, so you don’t want to cut too many corners with this one.

White plate with tomato and bread salad.
Such a perfect summer salad

How to Make Tuscan Panzanella Salad with Grilled Sourdough

This recipe is incredibly easy to make. The only part of this recipe that requires any effort at all is grilling the bread.

  1. Thinly slice the shallots and mince the garlic. Mix them with the olive oil and vinegar and around a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. It’s best to do this in a large bowl because you’ll be mixing in the rest of the salad soon!
  2. Heat your grill on high. While it’s heating, slice the tomatoes into halves or quarters, whatever you prefer, and add to the mixing bowl.
  3. Take 8 or 10 slices of day-old bread and brush them with olive oil on both sides. When the grill is nice and hot, grill the bread for around 20 seconds per side. Keep a close watch on them so they don’t burn; it can happen fast.
  4. When the bread is slightly toasted and has nice dark grill marks on both sides, set aside to cool for a few minutes.
  5. Cut or tear the grilled bread into small chunks and toss with the tomato and vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and a little more pepper if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  6. Just before serving, tear basil into small pieces and toss with the salad.

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