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close-up of panzanella salad

Panzanella (Tuscan Summer Salad) and Mozzarella

Some Tuscan freshness coming your way! Panzanella is a traditional seasonal, no-waste salad from the beautiful Italian region of Tuscany. Toasted cubes of stale bread are soaked into the delicious juice of fragrant tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and fresh herbs. The freshest and most aromatic salad to pair with Tuscan wines such as Chianti Classico or Rosso di Montalcino.

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

35 ounces (1 kg) of ripe tomatoes (I love using different colors and varieties)

5 ounces (150 g) of stale bread (preferably sourdough) cut into 1 inch (2,5 cm) cubes

1 cup (250 g) of Mozzarella di Bufala, in “perline” form (small balls) or torn into bite-size pieces

1 medium cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces

½ red onion, very thinly sliced (a mandolin is a very useful tool to achieve paper-thin slices)

¾ cup (15 g) of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup (10 g) of fresh flat leaves parsley, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons (9 g) of fresh oregano (alternatively, you can use 2 teaspoons of dried oregano)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil

45 ml (3 tablespoons) of red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Start by chopping the tomatoes into bite-size chunks. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the chopped cucumber, sliced onion, and Mozzarella di Bufala pieces.
  3. In a small ball, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Add the mixture to the salad and toss until well-coated.
  4. Add roughly chopped basil, flat leaves of parsley, and oregano and toss until well combined.
  5. Reserve in the fridge until serving. The longer the Panzanella sits in the fridge, the longer aromas and flavors will infuse and develop.
  6. 10 minutes before serving, turn your oven on grill mode.
  7. Place the stale bread cubes onto a baking tray and let it toast in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until golden and crispy.
  8. Add the toasted bread over the top of the salad, and some additional fresh basil leaves (for flavor and presentation purposes.)
  9. Serve immediately. (I recommend serving the salad in pasta bowls, and using a spoon to enjoy the delicious and fragrant tomato water!)
  10. Enjoy with a glass of Rosso di Montalcino!

Nim Keys

  1. I like using a mandolin to slice up the onions very thinly. But a good and sharp kitchen knife works perfectly well too!
  2. Adding the toasted bread cubes just before serving ensures that the bread remains crispy. It brings a variety of textures to the Panzanella. After a couple of minutes, the bread will soak in the delicious tomato water to create a delightful match.
  • Author: Ninon
  • Prep Time: 40
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 227
  • Sugar: 7.1 g
  • Sodium: 423.2 mg
  • Fat: 8.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 27.8 g
  • Protein: 11.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 3.4 mg

Keywords: panzanella, tomato salad, tuscan summer salad