Panzanella is a classic Italian salad made with bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and basil. It is a refreshing and flavorful salad that is perfect for summer gatherings. But what goes well with panzanella? Here are a few ideas:
- Grilled meats: Panzanella is a great side dish for grilled meats, such as chicken, steak, or fish. The bright and tangy flavors of the salad complement the richness of the meat.
- Seafood: Panzanella is also a good choice to serve with seafood, such as grilled shrimp or salmon. The acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar in the salad helps to balance out the fattiness of the fish.
- Pasta: Panzanella can be served as a side dish for pasta dishes, such as spaghetti or lasagna. The salad adds a light and refreshing touch to the meal.
- Soups and stews: Panzanella can also be served as a side dish for soups and stews. The bread in the salad helps to soak up the broth, and the vegetables add a fresh and crunchy element.
- Cheese: Panzanella can be served with a variety of cheeses, such as mozzarella, Parmesan, or goat cheese. The cheese adds a creamy and flavorful element to the salad.
Here are some specific recipes that you can try:
- Grilled Chicken with Panzanella Salad: This is a classic combination that is always a crowd-pleaser. The grilled chicken is juicy and flavorful, and the panzanella salad is light and refreshing.
- Salmon with Panzanella Salad: This is a lighter and healthier option that is perfect for summer. The salmon is grilled to perfection and the panzanella salad is a bright and flavorful accompaniment.
- Panzanella Salad with Mozzarella: This is a simple but delicious salad that is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. The mozzarella adds a creamy and flavorful element to the salad.
No matter what you choose to serve with panzanella, you are sure to enjoy this delicious and versatile salad.
Additional Tips
Here are a few additional tips for serving panzanella:
- Make sure to use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
- If you are using day-old bread, make sure to soak it in water before adding it to the salad. This will help to soften the bread and prevent it from becoming too soggy.
- Add other vegetables to the salad, such as cucumbers, onions, or bell peppers.
- Dress the salad with a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
- Serve the salad immediately or chill it for later.
What to Serve with Panzanella
On its own, this panzanella salad makes a delicious lunch or light dinner because of the hearty bread and mozzarella. For a complementary dish, I suggest grilling some zucchini or eggplant to complete the meal. It would also go nicely with any protein you like.
Panzanella Salad Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this panzanella salad recipe:
- Tasty bread: Excellent panzanella requires excellent bread. Choose a nice, crusty loaf of sandwich bread rather than soft, fragile varieties. I like ciabatta or sourdough.
- Ripe tomatoes – Use the best ones you can find. I prefer to use a combination of cherry and heirloom tomatoes.
- English cucumber – For crunch!
- Red onion – It gives the salad a nice bite.
- I adore how the creamy texture of fresh mozzarella complements the flavor of the fresh vegetables and hearty bread. You can omit the cheese from this panzanella recipe and still have a delicious vegan salad.
- Basil: The salad is elevated by its flavorful aroma!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
You’ll also make a homemade dressing using these simple ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil: It adds body and richness to the dressing
- Dijon mustard and sherry or red wine vinegar: They provide tang.
- Garlic – For a garlicky kick.
- Add some salt and pepper to enhance the flavors of everything!
The bread can absorb a lot of flavor, so we want the dressing to have a nice punch. The dressing will taste sharp on its own, but that’s a good thing.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
- Dry out the bread in the oven. Although stale bread is typically used to make panzanella, I find that using fresh bread cubes and toasting them in the oven before adding them to the salad produces the best panzanella. This way, you’re able to control the bread’s texture. It should have a slightly softer center with crisp edges. Additionally, you’ll season the bread with sea salt and olive oil before toasting it, which enhances the flavor of the panzanella. (Of course, you can also begin with stale bread; just modify the baking time to achieve the desired texture.)
- Serve it within a couple of hours. This panzanella tastes fantastic as soon as it’s combined, but it gets even better if you leave it for about thirty minutes before serving so that the toasted bread has time to absorb more of the delicious dressing and tomato juices. But after an hour or two, the bread becomes squishy. I advise against scheduling it more than a few hours ahead of time.
Crispy Panzanella Salad – Tuscan Bread & Tomato Salad Recipe
FAQ
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What can I eat with Panzanella?
It’s also a great starter to a fun Italian menu with anything including sundried tomato pasta, eggplant parmesan, chicken pesto, or Fish of your choice. Panzanella can also be the perfect summer salad for your next BBQ with things like chicken kabobs, lamb burgers, or grilled shrimp. You may also enjoy 50+ Top Mediterranean diet recipes.
What is the best substitute for fennel?
Fennel can be consumed both raw and cooked. Fennel bulbs and the feathery tops are commonly eaten while fennel seeds are used as a seasoning or digestive aid. Fennel imparts a licorice or anise-like flavor to salads, slaws, or to cooked meals or side dishes. If you don’t have fennel bulb, you can substitute celery or the bulbous white part of bok choy. Both lack licorice flavor but have similar textures. Anise seed is related to fennel and can be added to compensate for the missing licorice flavor. Anise extracts can also be found in local grocery stores and are sometimes used in baking.
What is a good dressing for Panzanella?
A traditional panzanella recipe will call for the simplest of dressings made of good extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. The dressing in this salad is kicked up a couple of notches with the addition of fresh garlic, thyme, and a small squeeze of Dijon mustard. And don’t forget, use the tomato juice you created from salting the tomatoes.
What is a good Panzanella salad?
Panzanella Salad with crusty bread, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, and the best homemade vinaigrette dressing. Try this bread salad once and it will become an instant favorite. Tomato Panzanella is right up there with our popular Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.