And the tomatoes. Beefsteak tomatoes, early girls, heirlooms, plum tomatoes, not to mention the little ones like sun golds. Anyway, the heat has come, the garden has finally started to act like summer, and this classic Tuscan bread salad is a perfect thing to make with the bounty.
What Is Panzanella Salad?
Panzanella is really a way to use up crusty bread that has gotten hard and to celebrate perfect summer tomatoes. It is a cooling summertime salad that relies on the bread as the “filler” to soak up the juices of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as the extra virgin olive oil you pour over everything. Once a poor man’s dish, panzanella has become rather trendy. Once you make it, you’ll see why! It’s a great way to show off wonderful, fresh, summer produce. Which is why you should only make it in the summer, and only use the best and freshest ingredients. With so few ingredients, you’ll want all of them shine.
The Perfect Make-Ahead Salad
Panzanella is best when it has been allowed to sit for a while (at least 30 minutes) before serving. This gives the bread plenty of time to soak up the juices from the tomatoes and for the flavors in the salad to meld. You can prepare the salad a couple hours ahead of time, keeping it at room temperature, which makes panzanella an excellent make-ahead salad for outdoor picnics and potlucks. If you need to make further ahead, refrigerate and let come to room temperature before serving.
What to Serve With Panzanella
Serve panzanella salad as a side dish with your summer favorites — grilled chicken, grilled fish or shrimp, and grilled steak. For a vegetarian version with a little more protein, try folding in some chickpeas, or topping the salad with chopped hard boiled eggs right before serving.
Suggestions and Additions
Here are a few variations on panzanella that you might like to try:
Add cubes of mozzarella cheese Sprinkle with red wine vinegar Fold in shredded chicken Fold in sliced prosciutto or small chunks of salami Add other vegetables such as chopped avocados, bell pepper, or fresh corn kernels Top with a fried or poached egg
Try These Other Summer Salads
Caprese Salad with Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella Fattoush Bread Salad Greek Pasta Salad Pasta Salad with Corn, Bacon, and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Tomato, Onion, and Avocado Salad
If you don’t have stale bread sitting around, you can take fresh crusty bread, cut it into big cubes, lay the cubes out on a baking sheet, and put in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes, until the outer edges have dried out a bit (not toasted, just dried). If you use fresh bread without doing this, the bread may disintegrate into mush in the salad. Note if you add meat, eggs, or cheese to this salad, store chilled if making ahead, and bring to room temp to serve.
