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Bring on the Panzanella …

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This is a salad that I would happily call the perfect summer salad. It is one that I look forward to making every summer. As I add each beautifully ripe ingredient to a large bowl, I can’t help but feel that the very act of making panzanella is pure summer joy!

Panzanella is a bread salad that is Italian in origin. The most common theory behind its creation is that it was a clever way to use up old, stale bread. Simply combine it with some fresh ingredients from the garden, including tomatoes and their juice, and the next thing you know you have a savoury, filling dish. Panzanella, like so many Italian dishes, is a simple food. Variations of it appear all over Italy and like so many other examples of rustic cuisine, it’s been elevated to a much higher status. I’ve even seen it on restaurant menus for absolutely ridiculous prices, especially when you consider that panzanella costs you next to nothing to make at home. And it’s so much better when you make it yourself.

This salad has also come to be a family favourite because it allows us to enjoy the best of summer flavour without having to turn on the stove or oven. While the awful humidity of July has released its grip on Toronto, it’s still nice to be able to throw some items together in a bowl and end up with an incredible meal.

Each time you make panzanella, it evolves. You’ll find yourself adding new ingredients all the time and eventually, you’ll settle on the version you like best. If you’ve never made panzanella before, I urge you to give it a try. A plate of this salad and that Italian terrace we’ve all been dreaming about will seem to appear that much closer.

Ciao!

Panzanella

Treasured family recipe.

  • 6 or 7 slices (1/2-inch thick) of day-old Italian country style bread or day-old focaccia
  • 2 medium cucumbers, with skin on and sliced thinly
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 1 large ripe tomato (to be used to wet the bread)
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes cut into small pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • sea salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces
  • handful of cherry tomatoes for garnish
  • handful of Mediterranean olives for garnish
  1. Using a toaster oven or the broiler, lightly toast the bread for a minute or two on each side. Remove and let cool. Once cool, cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. Put the bread in a large bowl.
  2. Take the ripe tomato set aside to wet the bread, cut it in half and squeeze out all the juice (seeds and all) over the bread. Mix the bread so that the juice is evenly distributed.
  3. Add a teaspoon or two of salt and black pepper to the bread and mix well; set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley and thyme. Add a teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. After that time has elapsed, add the vegetables to the bread being sure to also add any juice that’s accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Mix well.
  5. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and then pour the vinaigrette over the bread and vegetables. Mix well. Add the torn basil and garnish with cherry tomatoes and olives. Serve immediately.
  6. Enjoy!

Note:  This salad serves 4 to 6 people. I like to use a focaccia loaf that I buy from the best bread store in Toronto:  Ace Bakery. Toasting the bread ahead of time helps to keep the bread from soaking up too much liquid too quickly. Nonetheless, this salad should be served right away or the bread will become mushy.

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32 Comments

Kat

08/10/06 at 7:46 pm

very nice! have a nice weekend!

Carrie Sommer

08/10/06 at 7:55 pm

It looks delicious! I will be making this!

Lauren

08/10/06 at 8:23 pm

Thank you so much for the recipe. I have made Ina Garten’s version many times and it is one of my favorites. I look forward to trying yours!!

Joe

08/10/06 at 8:37 pm

Gorgeous picture!

Janice

08/10/06 at 8:57 pm

I agree…this is a wonderful salad. My favorite breakfast in all this heat has been to chop a big, juicy tomato, put it in a bowl with salt. While it releases all its juices, boil an egg. Add the chopped egg along with a handful of crushed saltines, spoonful of mayo and black pepper. Guess it’s sort of a redneck panzanella????

connie

08/10/06 at 9:35 pm

Panzanella is one of my favorite things to make. It always comes out great and always makes everyone smile. A great way to use up bread and vegetables. Lovely image as always!

Catherine Ross

08/10/06 at 10:59 pm

Yum! You certainly know how to whet the appetite!

Dani Spies

08/11/06 at 12:03 am

Okay, so not only do your recipes sound delicious, but the pictures are to die for….beautiful!!!

sweets_treats

08/11/06 at 2:02 am

I must have a go at making this. It looks so delicious.

sweets_treats

08/11/06 at 2:03 am

I must have a go at making this. It looks so delicious.

rowena

08/11/06 at 4:37 am

Ivonne, perhaps there will come the day when you will make YOUR version of panzanella on MY terrace! I’ll supply the wine…

Lis

08/11/06 at 6:08 am

Absolutely my most favorite way of using up stale bread in the summer. Yours looks delish and next time I make mine I’m going to add those herbs - yum! Beauteous picture, as well =)

Tanna

08/11/06 at 7:56 am

Yes, yes, yes, I love this salad! I’ll be trying yours soon or at least putting it into my mix.

Francesca

08/11/06 at 8:06 am

la panzanella è il piatto estivo che più mi ricorda le mie estati da bambina, ma che preparo d’estate quasi tutti i giorni:)

Jennifer

08/11/06 at 8:15 am

Wow, that’s weird! It looks like we were typing up our panzanella posts at almost exactly the same time…further proof that we’re long lost sisters, no?

Alanna has a great post on Blogher on all of the different versions she’s noticed (including yours!)

I love all of the herbs in yours–I bet that makes the salad even more summery-tasting.

Sue Vancil

08/11/06 at 9:22 am

I had bread salad once when Tanna and I made it and we loved it. You are right, it is a great way to combine bread and those fresh summer veggies. Once again, your picture is magnificent!!

Bruno

08/11/06 at 9:43 am

Hi Ivonne,

Your salad looks yummy!! I’m going to let some good bread go bad just so I can arrest it and put it in jail, er, I mean panzanella!!

Bruno

clarice

08/11/06 at 10:14 am

I love Panzanella becuase they really show off tomatoes at thier best !!
Thank you for the recipe
Clarice

Michel

08/11/06 at 12:43 pm

Talk about coincidence, I made my first bread salad ever this past weekend, to go with roast chicken, but used pine nuts and marinated cranberries.
Was gladly surprised by how tasty it turned out.
I’m going to have to try this recipe.

Meeta

08/11/06 at 4:39 pm

Ivonne! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love this salad. It is a known fact that I am a die hard Italy fan and living in Germany we have been there so often. It is so true every region has it’s own version. I never could settle for my own fave but I think the time has come to give it a go. It really looks delicious. You are a real sweetheart for sharing the family recipe with us.

Aurora

08/11/06 at 5:04 pm

Wow! We must be on the same wavelength….check out my post here:

www.touchthespindle.blogspot.com

I’m drooling over your blog!

Bea at La Tartine Gourmande

08/11/06 at 7:48 pm

Had never heard about this salad before, so I will definitely need to try, since I like ALL the ingredients. Or maybe YOU can make it for me! ;-)

maura

08/11/06 at 8:24 pm

Perfectoooo!

shaz

08/12/06 at 3:13 am

that is an excellent recipe! thanks. Its so summery. Cant wait to try it.

Natalia

08/12/06 at 4:25 am

I loooove panzanella. Regular salads are good, but bread salads are great! Have you ever tried frying the bread in a skillet with a touch of oil first? It adds some crunchyness to it and is now my favorite way to have it.

gerald

08/12/06 at 8:29 am

I like calling it the “gigantic crouton salad”

Lisa

08/13/06 at 2:31 pm

Gorgeous photo, as usual, and thanks for the bread-salad recipe — it looks like the best one ever! I’m crazy about panzanella.

Alice Q. Foodie

08/13/06 at 4:47 pm

Thanks for sharing this recipe Ivonne - I’ve never made Panzanella but I’m going to try this tonight with some roast chicken!

Maryellen

08/13/06 at 10:23 pm

Another winner! Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe–you are really making look good this summer :)

Geneve

08/15/06 at 6:33 pm

It’s amazing that something as good as panzanella was actually just a creative way to use up leftover ingredients. The tomatoes at the market are so beautiful right now that they’d be lovely in this salad. I think I’m going to have to make some now… ;)

Ivonne

08/26/06 at 5:26 pm

Thank you for all the great comments! Panzanella is truly one of the great salads of summer!

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