Panzanella (Tuscan Summer Salad) and Mozzarella

5 from 1 vote

Panzanella (Tuscan Summer Salad) and Mozzarella

Some Italian freshness coming your way! Panzanella is a traditional, seasonal, no-waste salad from Tuscany. Toasted cubes of stale bread are soaked into the delicious juice of fragrant tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and fresh herbs.

Prep Time40

Total Time40

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Ninon Michels

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
mandolin
Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

35 ounces ripe tomatoes (I love using different colors and varieties)
5 ounces stale bread (preferably sourdough) cut into 1 inch (2,5 cm) cubes
1 cup 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 fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
½ cup fresh flat leaves parsley roughly chopped
4 tablespoons fresh oregano (alternatively, you can use 2 teaspoons of dried oregano)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
45 ml red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start by chopping the tomatoes into bite-size chunks. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
Add the chopped cucumber, sliced onion, and Mozzarella di Bufala pieces.
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.
Add roughly chopped basil, flat leaves of parsley, and oregano and toss until well combined.
Reserve in the fridge until serving. The longer the Panzanella sits in the fridge, the longer aromas and flavors will infuse and develop.
10 minutes before serving, turn your oven on grill mode.
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.
Add the toasted bread over the top of the salad, and some additional fresh basil leaves (for flavor and presentation purposes.)
Serve immediately. (I recommend serving the salad in pasta bowls, and using a spoon to enjoy the delicious and fragrant tomato water!)
Enjoy with a glass of Rosso di Montalcino!

Notes

I like using a mandolin to slice up the onions very thinly. But a good and sharp kitchen knife works perfectly well too!
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.

Nutrition