Got a loaf of stale bread? Great! You have the star ingredient to make a mouthwatering panzanella salad. While most dishes call for freshly baked bread, stale bread is ideal for a panzanella. It's hard enough to soak up all the juices of the ingredients without the bread instantly going soggy. Plus, you get an excuse to indulge in delicious, delicious carbs!
For the love of bread and all that goes great with it, we rounded up the best panzanella bread salads to satisfy your appetite. Whether you're looking for a side dish or a full on meal from your bread salad you'll find it here.
Word to the wise, let the bread meld, but not too long. Even though it is harder than fresh bread, when left sitting for an hour or more it can get too soggy. So eat it up!
1. Summer Panzanella Salad with Garlic Butter Bread
Time and time again the Mediterranean diet has proven to be one of the healthiest. So eat to your health with this Mediterranean style panzanella. It's rich in olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh veggies, fresh herbs, and chunks of baked garlic butter bread to seal in the deal.
2. Grilled Bruschetta Panzanella Salad
Wish you could turn bruschetta into a meal? You can with this classic Italian bread salad recipe. It's got all your appetizer favorites mixed with a bed of garlic rubbed grilled ciabatta bread.
3.Caprese Panzanella
I simply adore Caprese salad. With huge chunks of fresh mozzarella, slices of juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and a drizzle of balsamic what's not to love? The only thing I find missing is the bread. And this recipe has it.
4. BLT Panzanella
Sometimes BLT's have either way too much bread or way too much bacon. This recipe has a perfect balance. Plus, it technically is a salad so that means it's healthier right?
5. Jalapeño Cornbread Salad
This Italian dish takes a delightful Southern twist with this recipe. Rather than using a crusty day-old loaf of bread, it calls for cubes of toasted jalapeño cornbread along with charred sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, avocado, cilantro, and cojita cheese with a homemade lime dressing.
6. Crusted Goat Cheese Spring Panzanella Salad
What better to go with a bread salad than cheese? This one comes with crusted goat cheese patties, pitted apricots, mixed greens, and rustic French bread. This is no side salad. This is a full on meal cheese loving vegetarians will go crazy for.
7. Cherry and Peach Panzanella
This panzanella screams summer. It calls for two stone fruits of the season, juicy ripe peaches, and fresh cherries. Add in some fresh torn burrata, ciabatta bread cubes, and a homemade champagne vinaigrette and you've got the perfect side for a summer backyard barbecue. You could even take it a step further and grill the peaches for an extra touch.
8. Nectarine Panzanella
This juicy Panzanella has all the fruits and veggies you crave with the guilty pleasure of a carb-loaded indulgence. Go on and treat yourself.
9. Radish Panzanella
Not all bread salads have to weigh you down. Enter this recipe. In a large bowl toss together radishes, bite-size pieces of slightly stale sourdough, fresh parsley, and some grated parmesan cheese with a touch of citrus and extra virgin olive oil for a light, refreshing Panzanella. Serve it as a side or eat it as a light meal.
10. Panzanella Style Caprese Asparagus Salad
This is not your ordinary Italian bread salad. This is an extravagant bread salad that completely changes your concept of Panzanella. Just look at this thing! I'd say make it for company, but honestly, I would eat it all by my lonesome. It's too good to share.
11. Panzanella with Marinated Chickpeas and Chimichurri
This is not your traditional Panzanella salad. This is the bread salad of your dreams. Chickpeas are marinated in vinegar and fresh herbs then tossed with butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and a homemade chimichurri sauce. And the bread? No need to ask for a side here. Huge pieces of thick Italian bread are tossed in.
12. Chipotle Steak and Shrimp Panzanella
If you're really looking for a creative way to turn a Panzanella into dinner, try this recipe. Where surf meets turf, it calls for Chipotle Tabasco marinated steak, succulent shrimp, okra, grape tomatoes, cucumber, and day-old bread to soak up all the flavorful juices.
