Italian · Lunch · Dinner
Panzanella
A rustic Tuscan salad of juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber and sweet red onion tossed with toasted wholemeal bread that soaks up a tangy red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. Bright with fresh basil, it is the perfect way to use up day-old bread in tomato season.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 48% · Fat 40% · Protein 12%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 4 thick slices200 gday-old wholemeal country bread
- 5 medium700 gripe tomatoes
- 1 medium250 gcucumber
- 1/2 medium80 gred onion
- 1 large handful15 gfresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp40 gextra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp45 gred wine vinegar
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tbsp9 gcapers, drained (optional)
Steps
- 1
Heat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F.
- 2
Tear or cut the bread into bite-sized chunks and spread them on a baking tray.
- 3
Bake the bread for about 10 minutes, until dry and lightly golden, then let it cool.
- 4
Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into chunks and put them in a large bowl with their juices.
- 5
Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt, toss, and leave for 10 minutes to release their juices.
- 6
Thinly slice the red onion and soak it in the red wine vinegar in a small bowl to soften its bite.
- 7
Halve the cucumber lengthways and slice it into half-moons.
- 8
Lift the onion out of the vinegar and add it to the tomatoes with the cucumber and capers, if using.
- 9
Whisk the olive oil and black pepper into the reserved vinegar to make the dressing.
- 10
Add the toasted bread to the bowl, pour over the dressing and toss well so the bread absorbs the tomato juices.
- 11
Tear in the basil leaves and toss gently.
- 12
Let the salad rest for 10–15 minutes so the bread softens slightly, then taste for seasoning and serve.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use a gluten-free crusty loaf instead of wholemeal bread for a gluten-free version, and check that the capers and vinegar you choose are labelled gluten-free.
- Swap the cucumber for a diced red or yellow bell pepper for extra sweetness and crunch.
- Use cherry tomatoes, halved, when large ripe tomatoes are out of season.
- Replace the red wine vinegar with sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar for a slightly sweeter dressing.
Storage
Panzanella is best eaten fresh, as the bread turns soggy as it sits; refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat them within a day. Do not freeze.
Make ahead
Toast the bread up to 2 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container at room temperature, and mix the dressing up to a day ahead and refrigerate it. Chop the vegetables and assemble the salad shortly before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenSulphites
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (334 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 268 kcal | 80 kcal |
| Protein | 8.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32.7 g | 9.8 g |
| of which sugars | 9 g | 2.7 g |
| Fiber | 6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 12.2 g | 3.7 g |
| of which saturated | 1.8 g | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 821 mg | 246 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
