Panzanella Salad With Red Wine Vinaigrette

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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe

Healthy and hearty. This salad is full of healthy ingredients like zucchini, avocado, tomatoes, and fresh herbs! You’ll surely have a nutrient-packed meal when you make panzanella salad. Versatile ingredients. While this recipe uses seasonal ingredients, there’s no need to fret when you run out of avocados. This easy panzanella salad is versatile and the vegetables are easy to change up. Perfect for summer. This salad is fresh, vibrant, and uses seasonal summer ingredients. Use freshly-harvested tomatoes, zucchini, avocados, and basil for the best summer flavors.

Variations & Substitutions

Crusty bread. The best bread to use for panzanella bread is a crusty loaf with a dense and chewy center, like ciabatta or Tuscan bread, since they can absorb the flavors of the salad while maintaining the texture. Panzanella salad was traditionally made with stale bread, but you can also use fresh bread and toast it in the oven for a better flavor and texture. Use whole wheat and gluten-free bread if preferred. Tomatoes. Use plump ripe tomatoes that are in season, preferably heirloom tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes. Choose firm tomatoes without blemishes to get the best flavor. If using cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, make sure to slice them in half to get all the juices of the tomatoes. Vegetables. Traditionally, panzanella salad is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, but in this recipe, I added zucchini and avocados (because I am allergic to cucumbers, and wanted something more filling!) But you can use other vegetables in season like bell peppers, capers, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, radishes, fennel, and asparagus. Garlic cloves. When making the red wine vinaigrette, you can opt to use fresh garlic cloves or substitute with half a teaspoon of garlic powder.

📖 How to make panzanella salad

Make panzanella salad

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the cubed bread out on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, diced zucchinis, avocado and fresh basil leaves. Add the crispy bread cubes to the mixing bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Make red wine vinaigrette

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic (if using). Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the mixture continuously until the vinaigrette is emulsified and well combined. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Salt and drain tomatoes in a colander before adding to the salad to produce more flavorful tomato chunks. Add tomato juice to the dressing. Tomato juice adds a combination of tangy and sweet and enhances the overall flavor of your dressing. Let the salad sit for 30 before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the bread to soak in the dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with cheese. Add crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan just before serving to add a savory and creamy taste.

🥗 How to serve panzanella salad

Serve this panzanella recipe with red wine vinaigrette as a side dish or as a light meal on its own. It’s best paired with tomato-based pastas (like this penne pomodoro or rigatoni arabbiatta), pesto pastas, and grilled vegetables like eggplant or zucchini.

🫙 Storage and reheating suggestions

Panzanella salad is best served the day it’s made as the crusty bread will become soggy overtime. You can make the crusty bread and red wine vinaigrette dressing ahead of time. Wrap the bread in a paper towel at room temperature and use the next day, or place it in an airtight container to store in the freezer for up to two weeks. To store the dressing, place it in an airtight jar and place in the refrigerator and use within four days.