This fresh and delicious Summer Panzanella salad features toasted bread, juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and a super easy lemon shallot dressing that’s a breeze to throw together!
Move over boring bagged croutons; we’re making panzanella today!
This tuscan bread salad is spiked with garden fresh Summer produce and tossed with a scrumptious lemon dressing. I upped the ante even further and gave this tasty panzanella a caprese vibe by adding fresh mozzarella and basil to the mix.
Helloooooo delicious!
With its juicy ripe tomatoes and fresh fragrant basil, we plan on enjoying this colorful salad all Summer long! This particular plateful was the highlight of our Sunday! We wound up devouring the entire platter between the two of us.
Making it in the off season? Grab some greenhouse-grown Campari tomatoes in place of the cherry tomatoes and you’re good to go!
Summer Panzanella Salad
While this salad is typically made with day old bread, there’s no need to wait for stale ciabatta! Toasting it in the oven gives the bread the most delicious golden edges and adds flavor and crunch. Once the dressing is added the bread will revive itself and fluff back up. No rock-hard croutons here!
I LOVE using ciabatta bread but you can absolutely use any bread you have on hand; Italian, French, and Focaccia all work gloriously. You could even score a Asiago Cheese Loaf from a local bakery and go all out… ummmm hello totally trying that next time around!
Serving a crowd? Double that recipe, yo! As written you’ll get about 4 hearty side-salads out of this recipe but for a party or potluck, it can easily stretch to about 6 servings. Double it and you can easily feed 12 or more. Enjoy!
I’m so completely head over heels in love with this recipe and cannot wait for y’all to try it!
Summer Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 6-7 inch portion of ciabatta bread
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup mozzarella pearls or extra, to taste
- fresh chopped basil (as much as you'd like!)
- olive oil for drizzling
- salt and pepper to taste
EASY LEMON SHALLOT DRESSING
- 1 fresh lemon
- 1 shallot
- 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar or fav variety
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
MAKE THE DRESSING
- First whisk together the dressing. Juice the lemon. Peel and thinly slice or mince shallot. (dealer's choice – I like to mince half and slice the other half)
- Combine lemon juice, shallot, and remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl.
MARINATE THE TOMATOES
- Halve or quarter the tomatoes and add to the dressing to marinate. They'll get extra flavorful this way!
- Stir in the mozzarella pearls too and allow them to sit while you prep the remaining ingredients.
TOAST THE BREAD
- Heat your oven or toaster oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet and top with torn pieces of ciabatta bread. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, toss to coat, and arrange in an even layer.
- Toast until lightly browned but still soft on the inside, approx. 5-7 minutes.
SALAD TIME!
- Add toasted bread and basil to the salad and mix to combine.
- Dive in while it's fresh and delicious! I try not to let this salad sit too too long as the crusty bread will eventually take on the dressing and turn to mush but it can be set out for 30-60 min for guests to serve themselves if you're making it for a gathering.
Notes
Nutrition
special diets and swaps
- Vegan? Skip the mozzarella and you’re good to go!
- Gluten-Free? Try it with your favorite gluten-free bread or feel free to use this veggie-dressing combo over a big leafy green salad if you’d like!
- In a pinch, red onion will work in place of the shallots but if you can get your hands on some shallots – do it! They’re so super yummy and much more mild than onion, making them great for salads!
For those of you who have been following along for a while, my itty bitty hand model has grown quite a bit over the years.
When I first posted this recipe back in 2017 I had a preschooler sticking her digits in all my recipe photos. These days I have a full-fledged tween helping me with my work. It’s a bit surreal!
Have a plethora of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes handy? I have the best little collection of 20 Tasty Cherry Tomato Recipes to help you use them all up!
If you get a chance to try this tasty tomato panzanella recipe let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations! I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
Is there a way to make this ahead of time for lunches without the bread getting soggy?
Yes! It requires a few containers for best/tastiest results but it’s 100% possible.
Keep the lightly toasted bread in an airtight baggie on the counter (next to your lunch box or somewhere you’ll remember to snag it) or on top of the salad in the fridge if it’s easier – you can even portion it out into multiple servings ahead of time for how many lunches you’d like to make. The dressing can be stored in little lidded cups/containers (I’ve even found lunch boxes that have a dressing compartment built into the lid – brilliant!) and the veggies can all chill out in the main container in the fridge. Pop all three in your lunch box/bag with a small ice pack (needed for the mozzarella in the recipe if you’re adding it) and toss together when it’s time to dig in!
Lovely looking salad. I’m really trying to be goods and eat more salads over the Summer.
Thank you Amy, meeeee tooooo!
This is a refreshing and filling bread salad. Thanks for sharing this recipe Jenn
Thank you Lara! 🙂
I love panzanella salad it’s so good! You’re photos are gorgeous.
Thank you Emily! Totally delicious!
This is one of my favourite salads to make, especially for a crowd. So much colour and flavour in one dish.
It’s so bright and fun, right?! Totally a crowd pleaser too!
I love Panzanella and any salad that uses bread. It’s so good when it is soaked in all these awesome dressing ingredients. I like the addition of mozzarella 🙂
Thank you Edyta!
I love the photo with the little girl stirring the salad! SO nice to see kids like being in the kitchen! The salad sounds perfect for these hot days of summer!~ Pinned it!
My daughter makes a great assistant! Thanks Michele
Yum! This is one of my favorite summer salads. I love your photos! Such wonderful flavors.
Thank you Tara 🙂
Yummy! What a perfect recipe for summer and I love how simple this salad is to make. I am definitely going to give this one a try. Thank you for sharing!
So excited for you to try it Luci! Thank you! 🙂