Tuscan Panzanella Salad (Best Italian Bread and Tomato Recipe)

Mediterranean flavors are showcased in this easy and fresh Tuscan Style Panzanella Salad. It's one of my personal favorites because it's when I can have a valid reason to enjoy bread which I hopelessly love with fresh juicy tomatoes. Toasted crusty bread and because we're currently in summer we don't use the oven but you can if you want to. These bread pieces in the air fryer are quick and crunchy, holding up really well to the fresh and juicy tomatoes. 

Easy Panzanella Recipe

I am sharing an old fashioned method of making this salad - simple ingredients with the best fresh flavors all in one large bowl. It's how my mother-in-law used to make it and she would always say "mangiare dei poveri" which means "food of the less fortunate" because that's how this recipe came about - as a peasant dish. 

My husband doesn't eat tomatoes in a salad but he will eat panzanella for the delicious flavor of the bread soaking up the tomato juice. It's where your throat glands say "yes please".  

Toasting bread in the pizza oven in Italy in the winter months was a regular evening "after-dinner snack" with red wine. We would rub fresh garlic cloves and cut-side down homegrown cherry tomatoes on the toast with a drizzle of little olive oil.

Panzanella bread salad is all about the main ingredient - bread and tomatoes so make sure that these are best quality. Good quality bread is great but if it's also a day-old bread that's even better because it holds up better.

Soaking The Bread In Water

We slice the bread into chunky pieces and toast it purely because we don’t want it too soggy.

There are recipes that soak the bread in water for panzanella. This method actually comes from the whole preservation - no waste, exactly how “stale bread” in the salad was introduced. The bread was stored for long periods and was extremely hard making it impossible to eat. This is when and why the stale bread was soaked in water, to soften it. Then fresh ripe tomatoes were squeezed over the bread and a drizzle of olive oil. This is no longer necessary because we use bread that’s a day or so old not rock hard.

Italian Bread Salad Ingredients

Here are the fresh ingredients you will need to make this delicious panzanella salad;

Ripe tomatoes - ripe and juicy is important otherwise it won't work as it should. 

Stale bread or leftover bread (not fresh bread) - here are popular traditional bread loaves: Italian bread, Tuscan bread (round bread more like a sourdough type loaf with little to no salt making it a wee-bit lighter" also known as unsalted Tuscan bread, then you have ciabatta which works really well too and our daily no knead bread is another winner. 

Fresh Cucumber - I peel the cucumber in this recipe but also leave strands of the peel on here and there purely for presentation and I remove the seeds so the liquid doesn't fall into our tomato vinaigrette. 

Garlic cloves - thinly sliced and then halved if you like but not minced garlic. 

Basil leaves - Loads of them too!

Red onion - I thinly slice half and dice the rest, it's aways about layering and textures.

Below are the ingredients that we have over the years tweaked this recipe with which we now add to panzanella every time we make it. Alternate with what you have.

• Capers 
• Anchovies
• Olives

How I Salt and Juice My Tomatoes for Panzanella:

Slice the tomatoes in half, and then half again if they're large cherry tomatoes. I used a mix of tomatoes, some from our garden. Place the cut tomatoes into a strainer which you will sit over a bowl. Gently squeeze the tomatoes with clean hands to help begin the juicing process. Salt them let them sit for about 15-20 minutes to drain the juices, which we’ll use for the vinaigrette.

How to Make a Simple Vinaigrette (Easy Panzanella Salad Dressing)

This is, without a doubt, the magic of this dish! I remember thinking, how can something so simple taste so amazing and still bring out all the flavors without making the salad too soggy? Mediterranean cooking at its finest—big flavors!

To make the dressing, start with the secret ingredient: tomato juice. Use it as the base, and in the same bowl where the tomatoes drained - mix 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix in with the drained tomato juice.

How to Make Tuscan-Style Panzanella Salad

Toast the bread: Toast the bread in the oven (200°C/400°F) for about 10 minutes, or use the air fryer. I prefer the air fryer, especially in the warmer months. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes while prepping the bread. Slice the bread into thicker cut slices then cut into 1-inch squares.

Place parchment paper in the basket for easy cleanup. Add the bread pieces, drizzle a little olive oil, gently shake the basket and air fry at 200°C for 5 minutes, shaking halfway through. Pull them out when you're happy with the color. Mine take around 4-5 minutes.

Slice and salt the tomatoes: Slice the tomatoes and place them into a strainer over a bowl. Gently squeeze the tomatoes with clean hands to release the juices. Salt them and let them sit to juice while you prep the rest of the salad.

Prep the vegetables: Slice the red onion, peel and seed the cucumber, then slice it. Thinly slice or chop the garlic and anchovies.

Fresh basil: Roll the large basil leaves together, slice them, and keep the baby leaves for garnish.

Combine: Add the cucumber, onion, squeezed tomatoes (from earlier), sliced fresh basil leaves, anchovies, sliced garlic, capers all into a large salad bowl.

Toasted Bread Pieces: Add the bread pieces, little of the tomato dressing and toss together.

Serve: Taste and serve with the remaining tomato vinaigrette.

Recipe Notes

• If your bread is not stale and you want to make this panzanella tonight, (I don't blame you) simply, get your pieces of bread onto a baking sheet and bake for roughly 10-12 minutes to get the bread crunchy. 
• To finish, you can add fresh black pepper. I normally leave it at the table for individual preferences. 

Should Panzanella Salad Rest?

Some Italian recipes suggest letting the salad sit for hours to let the flavors combine and the bread soak up the juices. I prefer the crunch of the bread and vegetables and cannot eat soggy bread so I don’t let it sit for long—immediate serving or 15-20 minutes is enough for me.

What to Serve With Panzanella Salad

Panzanella pairs well with grilled steak, chicken, or chops. It also goes great with salmon or baked eggplant slices and pasta bake. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to pairing panzanella salad, see below for more ideas:

Pairings

16th century vibe - (just for laughs because we can, and should, laugh:) “Take thine bread, stale and hearty, and with thy finest oil and vinegary concoction, toss together with herbs and ripe vegetables, a simple dish fit for a summer feast."

​More Salads To Enjoy!

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