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Panzanella

Name: Panzanella
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 240 g, cut into 2 cm cubes stale Tuscan-style country bread; 60 ml cold water; 600 g, cut into irregular chunks ripe tomatoes; 250 g, peeled in stripes and sliced into half-moons cucumber; 80 g, thinly sliced red onion; 15 g, torn fresh basil leaves; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 30 ml red wine vinegar; 5 g fine sea salt; 1 g freshly ground black pepper

Panzanella is a juicy Tuscan bread salad where stale country bread soaks up ripe tomato juices, red wine vinegar, and peppery olive oil. Crisp cucumber, mellowed red onion, and fresh basil make it bright, refreshing, and perfect for warm-weather eating.

15 min

4 servings

328 kcal

Italian

Ingredients

Bread and vegetables

240 g, cut into 2 cm cubesstale Tuscan-style country bread
60 mlcold water
600 g, cut into irregular chunksripe tomatoes
250 g, peeled in stripes and sliced into half-moonscucumber
80 g, thinly slicedred onion
15 g, tornfresh basil leaves

Vinaigrette and seasoning

60 mlextra-virgin olive oil
30 mlred wine vinegar
5 gfine sea salt
1 gfreshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1
Put the red onion in a large salad bowl with the red wine vinegar and fine sea salt. Toss well and let it sit while you prepare the rest; this quick maceration softens the onion’s sharpness and starts the dressing.
2
Place the stale bread cubes in a separate bowl and sprinkle over the cold water. Toss with your hands for 20–30 seconds: the bread should become slightly pliable but not soggy. If a few pieces are still very hard, let them absorb moisture rather than adding more water immediately.
3
Prepare the tomatoes, cucumber, and basil. Keep the tomato juices on the board or in the bowl; they are essential for moistening and flavouring the bread.
4
Add the tomatoes and their juices to the onion-vinegar mixture. Pour in the extra-virgin olive oil, add the black pepper, and toss thoroughly, lightly pressing a few tomato pieces to release more juice.
5
Fold in the softened bread, cucumber, and torn basil. Toss gently but thoroughly so the bread absorbs the tomato vinaigrette without breaking down into mush.
6
Rest for 4 minutes at room temperature, then toss once more and serve immediately. The bread should be juicy and tender with a little chew, not wet or paste-like.

Nutrition per serving

328 kcal

Calories

Protein

39g

Carbs

14g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; watery or underripe tomatoes make a bland panzanella.
•Traditional Tuscan bread is unsalted and sturdy. If using salted bread, reduce the salt slightly to taste.
•For deeper flavour, let the finished salad rest up to 20 minutes if you are not limited to the 15-minute version.
•Serve as a light vegan main course or alongside grilled vegetables, beans, or olives.

Background

Panzanella comes from Tuscany and central Italy, where it began as a thrifty way to revive stale, unsalted bread with garden vegetables and vinegar. The tomato-rich version became common after tomatoes were fully adopted into Italian cooking, while the dish remains a classic example of cucina povera: simple ingredients handled well.

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