Panzanella is a rustic Italian salad that turns day-old bread into a delicious summertime dish. Originating from Tuscany, it features chunks of crusty bread tossed with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and fresh basil, all soaked in a tangy vinaigrette of olive oil and vinegar. Refreshing and satisfying, this salad captures the essence of Italian simplicity and seasonal eating.
Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 8.5 ounces stale tuscan bread
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 10.5 ounces tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 6 leaves basil
- 2 pinches salt
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by cutting the stale bread into slices. Then reduce it into cubes using your hands or a knife. Put the bread in a bowl and wet it with about 2/3 cup (160 ml) of water and 3 tbsp of vinegar.* Mix well with a spoon or with your hands to make the bread absorb the water, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegetables: wash the tomatoes and cut them into cubes. Peel the cucumber and cut it into pieces.
- Cut the onion into very thin slices. Take the bread back and, if it is very wet, squeeze it a little with your hands. Transfer it to a large salad bowl
- Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, two pinches of salt, and a grind of pepper. Complete with 4 abundant spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix carefully, then add the basil leaves, broken up with your hands.
- Stir again with a spoon, so that the ingredients blend perfectly. Cover the salad bowl and let the Tuscan panzanella rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving, so that the bread is properly flavored.
Notes
*The amount of water and vinegar needed for the bread depends on two factors: 1) how dry the bread is: the drier it is, the more water will be needed 2) personal tastes: some prefer a crunchier panzanella, others a softer one; for a more delicate flavour, you can also reduce the amount of vinegar. Remember that the bread salad must rest for a few hours after it has been seasoned, and that tomatoes and cucumbers will release water and soften the bread further as it sits.
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