Bruschetta Salad (Panzanella)

Bruschetta Salad, also known as Panzanella, is made with toasted bread, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil and is ready in 20 minutes! This recipe is a great way to use up day-old bread.

If you love bruschetta, you are going to love this salad. It tastes just like bruschetta in a bowl, but much easier to make and eat.

If you love summer produce salads, be sure to check out Italian Tomato Onion Salad or Strawberry Blueberry Spinach Salad. And, don’t miss this Italian Roasted Vegetable dish!

Why You’ll Love Bruschetta Salad!

This salad has it all: crunchy bread, sweet tomatoes, and a tangy dressing. Similar to an Italian panzanella salad recipe, this is a great way to use up day old bread.

Bruschetta Salad is a tasty and vibrant summer Panzanella salad. It’s great for served as a side dish or as meal. Plus, it gets tastier the longer it sits.

Bruschetta Salad is a great way to use up that stale bread too! In fact, the salad works better with bread that’s a day or two old. So read on and see how easy it is to make this tasty Italian dish.

The one essential ingredient is day old bread. Panzanella originated as a peasant dish and they would use whatever ingredients were on hand, such as stale bread.

Another essential ingredient for panzanella are fresh tomatoes. That’s why this is such a great summer dish. It allows you to use up all of those fresh tomatoes from your garden.

Ingredients and Variations

• Bread: you want to use a hearty loaf of bread. Breads like French baguettes, Italian loafs, or ciabatta work great and won’t get mushy in the salad. Traditional panzanella salad uses day old (stale) Italian bread.
• Mozzarella: fresh mozzarella works best in this salad. You can substitute hard mozzarella or cubes of provolone here.
• Tomatoes: the key to a good bruschetta salad is using vine ripe fresh tomatoes. I like to use the tomatoes on the vine, but you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand.
• Basil: another essential ingredient is fresh basil. You can chop it or tear it into pieces for this salad.
• Red onion: if you are not a fan of red onion, you can definitely omit it here.
• Variations: there are many variations of the salad that include diced cucumbers, bell peppers, pepperoncini, and olives.

How to Make Bruschetta Salad

To make bruschetta salad, you need to start with your day old bread. You want to use a hearty bread for this recipe. A baguette, ciabatta, or loaf from the bakery would work great. Preferably, use a white bread with a crunchy outside… no sliced white bread here!

Step 1: toast the bread

Firstly, cut the bread in to bite-sized cubes. I like to have about one inch cubes here. It helps to use a serrated knife to cut the bread so that you aren’t pressing down too hard when cutting.

Then, place the bread in a large mixing bowl and add in one tablespoon of olive oil and half a teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss the bread to combine.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven. You want the bread to be a golden brown in color. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2: make the dressing

In a dressing container or mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh minced garlic, dried oregano, and kosher salt. Shake or whisk to combine.

Step 3: combine ingredients in bowl

Place the toasted bread cubes back in the large mixing bowl and add in the remainder of the salad ingredients. For the tomatoes and mozzarella, dice into bite-sized chunks. Slice the red onion thin and just tear the basil into pieces using your hands.

Step 4: toss with dressing

Lastly, pour on the dressing. Toss all of the ingredients together to combine. Let the salad sit for a couple of minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Use stale bread: stale bread will absorb the flavors of the salad. Toasting the bread will help to crisp up the bread even if it’s not stale.
• Use ripe tomatoes: the quality of the tomatoes is key to a good bruschetta salad. Use ripe, juicy tomatoes that are in season for the best flavor.
• Red onion: the red onion adds a sharp, tangy flavor and helps balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. If you want to mellow the flavor of the onion, slice thing and then soak in cool water for 10 minutes before using.
• Use high quality olive oil: since the dressing is very simple, it’s important to use high-quality olive oil.
• Let the salad sit: once all of the ingredients are tossed, let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the bread to absorb all of the flavors.
• Add other ingredients: you can customize this salad by adding other ingredients such as cucumbers, bell peppers, or olives.
• Serve chilled: this salad is best served chilled, so keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

If you love easy Italian sides, Peas and Pancetta is a delicious and easy Italian side dish that comes together fast! Made with frozen peas, diced pancetta, and sliced shallots. And, be sure to try this Eggplant Caponata is a delicious veggie-packed Italian condiment that’s great for topping bruschetta or eating on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Italian Side Dishes