Easy.

Bread.

Salad.

I know, you don’t often think of a salad made out of bread, but this bread salad recipe is exactly that.

Bread is not just a crouton or accoutrement.

No.

Bread is the star of this bread salad recipe and you will love it.

So, if you have some stale bread that you don’t want to go waste, a leftover peach or two, and only 10 minutes to spare, this easy panzanella salad is for you!

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What is Bread Salad or Panzanella?

Many believe that the word panzanella comes from the combination of the Italian word for bread (“pane”) and deep bowl (“zanella”). Hence, a lot of people think of panzanella as an Italian bread salad. The earliest version of panzanella consisted of slightly pickled onion on toasted bread. These days, however, the traditional version (which is often thought of as a classic Tuscan bread salad because it’s quite popular in that region of Italy) is quite simple–soaked stale bread, fresh summer tomatoes, and onions. The ingredients are coated with a light dressing of plenty of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

A classic panzanella is the perfect salad during summer months, when tomatoes are bursting with sweetness and flavor. But this Tuscan dish can be enjoyed year round anytime you have some leftover bread. As is often the case with some of the best recipes, traditional panzanella was designed to guard against waste and this delicious panzanella salad recipe is no different!

Why You’ll LOVE This Bread Salad Recipe.

You are going to LOVE this easy bread salad recipe because it’s:

• EASY. One of my favorite things about this bread salad recipe is how easy it is! There is absolutely no cooking involved in this one! No emulsification! No strange ingredients! Just chop, add, and mix! It takes 10 minutes from start to finish and that is why this bread salad is one of my go-tos!
• NO WASTE. This bread salad is such a great way to use up all those ingredients that have been sitting on your kitchen counter or in your fridge. Don’t toss that rock hard bread! Don’t let that bowl of cherry tomatoes go to waste! Got one last peach from the farmers market about to go brown? Use it before you lose it!
• CUSTOMIZABLE. The classic panzanella or bread salad recipe consists of dried bread, onions, and tomatoes. From that point on, sky’s the limit! Don’t have peaches? Add nectarines, apricots, or plums! Don’t have cucumbers, add celery or zucchini or spring peas! Want a bit of protein in this panzanella salad recipe? Add some white beans or chickpeas!
• DELICIOUS. I mean, it should go without saying that any recipe on this blog is delicious, but I have to say, even I was surprised at how good this bread salad tasted!!

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Bread Salad Recipe.

As I mentioned, this bread salad starts with a foundation of dry bread, onions, and tomatoes. Beyond that, we add some peaches and cucumbers and dress the whole thing with some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. But let’s get into the details, shall we?

Day-Old Bread.

This panzanella salad recipe calls for old bread. Why is it necessary to use old bread? The porous nature of stale bread maximizes the absorption of the tomato juice, olive oil, and all the other flavors created by the other ingredients. Old bread will also ensure that your bread salad doesn’t just turn into a mushy dough ball.

What happens if you use fresh bread? Well, what happens when you take a piece of fresh bread and squeeze it in your hand? It turns into a gummy, dough ball. The moisture in fresh bread will also leave no room for the flavors of your juicy tomatoes, the garlic, the peaches, the red onion, the fresh basil.

What kind of crusty bread? Well, any rustic bread will do. If you can get your hands on a crusty Italian bread, that’s great. But sourdough bread is also great for this bread salad recipe. Can you use a loaf of sandwich bread? Sure. Will it taste as good? Probably not. Why? Because the crumb is a bit tight for this bread salad recipe. For the best results? Go with a loaf of hearty bread.

What to do when you ONLY have fresh bread but you desperately want to make this panzanella recipe? Cut your fresh bread into 1-inch cubes and spread them onto a baking sheet. Place it in an oven preheated to 350° F for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are slightly golden brown. Now, you’re good to go!

Ripe Tomatoes.

This bread salad recipe calls for ripe tomatoes. I like to use a mix of heirloom tomatoes (for their juiciness), as well as cherry tomatoes (for their sweetness). But honestly, you can get away with any tomatoes you want for this bread salad recipe, including roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, beef tomatoes. Even some of the tart tomatoes (like yellow tomatoes) would be a fun addition to this bread salad recipe!

Raw Onions.

As I mentioned, the classic recipe for panzanella or bread salad consists of raw onions. I’ve seen both red onions and regular white onions used for panzanella, but I prefer the zip of red onions. The onions are soaked in a little cold water and vinegar for a slightly pickled effect. The cold water will also help to draw out some of the bitterness in the onions.

Fresh Peaches.

This bread salad recipe includes fresh yellow peaches for extra sweetness (since there is no sugar added to the dressing). But if you don’t have fresh peaches, you can substitute with any juicy, sweet fruit, like apricots, nectarines, or plums. Even watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe would perfectly pair with the tomatoes and onions in this bread salad!

Cucumber.

Cucumber will add texture and crunchiness to this bread salad, helping to ensure the mouthfeel remains pleasant. I used Persian cucumbers for this recipe, but you can use whatever cucumber you have on hand. If you don’t have cucumbers, you can substitute with zucchini, celery, green beans, or even green bell pepper! The idea is to add a little crispy crunch to your salad, so whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand that fits that bill–use it!

Vinegar.

Many Italian recipes for bread salad call for red wine vinegar when soaking the onions. But if you don’t have red wine vinegar, I would use any fruit forward vinegar like apple cider vinegar. In a pinch, you can also use just plain white vinegar. What about balsamic vinegar? That might be a bit too strong and risks getting in the way of all the other flavors you’re trying to develop with this bread salad, but if that’s all you got, go for it!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Bread Salad.

As I’ve mentioned, this bread salad is a very easy recipe and comes together quite quickly. So, let’s get to it!

Step 1.

First, slice your red onion into very thin slices. Place them in a small bowl with cold water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar (red wine vinegar or other fruit forward vinegar). Set that aside.

Step 2.

Make a little tomato juice by grating your heirloom tomato(es) into a very large bowl until you have approximately 1 cup of tomato puree. To that, add 3 crushed cloves of peeled garlic. Cut the remaining heirloom tomato into bite-sized chunks and add to your very large bowl.

Step 3.

Slice your stale bread into 1-inch cubes and add to the bowl in Step 2 (tomato juice), together with sliced cucumbers, peach chunks, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. Add the red onions.

Step 4.

Season with sea salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Add extra virgin olive oil over the top. Mix the contents of the bowl with wooden spoons or, my preferred method, cover the large bowl with an equally large bowl and shake, shake, shake!

And that is it! You have just created a beautiful bread salad that you will want to eat all by yourself!

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