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Celebrate the summer season with a delicious twist on the classic Panzanella Salad with Strawberries and be transported back to the beautiful hills of Tuscany with each blissful bite.
With the arrival of summer, it’s time to savour and delight in the abundance of fresh and vibrant flavours that the season has to offer. And one such dish that captures the essence of summertime dining is a classic Panzanella salad.
What is Panzanella Salad
Panzanella pronounced Pan-zuh-neh-luh is a Tuscan-style crusty bread salad with juicy, ripe salted tomatoes tossed with other seasonal veggies.
It was considered a poor man’s dish typical of central Italy from Tuscany, Abbruzzo and the Lazio region where I was born. A typical dish using stale bread soaked in water and adding garden tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables with fresh basil.
Today, we’re taking this Italian bread salad to new heights. We’re toasting the bread morsels and incorporating delicious fresh strawberries, infusing this Summer Panzanella, with an irresistible burst of sweetness.
Enjoy this Tuscan-style tomato and bread salad with a summery twist in the comfort of your kitchen.
Ingredients for a Summer Panzanella
Use the freshest ingredients you can find for optimal taste.
- Bread – Choose a crusty bread such as ciabatta or any other rustic-style bread. Both fresh and day-old bread are fine. When toasted, the crusty bread soaks up the vinaigrette without turning to mush.
- Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are my favourite in this recipe. They hold their shape well in the vinaigrette. Be sure to use ripe, juicy tomatoes with firm skin. When sliced and salted, the results are delicious concentrated flavours. The juices drained will be used in the vinaigrette. No waste here!
- Mini cucumbers – Mini cucumbers are much like long English cucumbers with thinner skin making them more palatable when eaten with the skin on. No peeling is needed. It’s always a plus and a timesaver for me!
- Strawberries – The sweet strawberries contrast beautifully with the tartness of the vinaigrette.
- Red onion – Red onions have always been a favourite of mine in salads. They add a nice bite with a splash of colour.
- Parsley – Parsley brightens the flavours of the bread salad and, in a pinch, can be substituted with fresh basil.
- Garlic – When infused with oil, garlic lends flavour and aroma.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – One of the healthiest oils when used in salad dressings, it helps emulsify the ingredients, creating a velvety texture.
- White Wine Vinegar – A valuable ingredient providing a tangy balanced flavour to salad dressings.
How to Make a Panzanella Salad with Strawberries
- 1- Slice the crusty bread and cut each slice into 1/2 inch crouton-like pieces.
- 2- Transfer the crouton onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and bake in preheated oven set at 400 F until golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes. The time will largely depend on how big or small you cut the pieces of bread.
- 3- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt. (the salt not only draws out the juices from the tomatoes but will also intensify the flavours. The juice from the drained tomatoes is then used in the vinaigrette.)
- 4- Dice the cucumbers any way you like. I prefer them close in size to the sliced cherry tomatoes.
- 5- Wash, haul and slice the strawberries and red onion. For the strawberries, set them hauled side down on a cutting board and make clean slices with a sharp knife.
Panzanella Salad Dressing
This is a marvellous and effortless salad dressing using white wine vinegar. But if you don’t have white wine in your pantry, a seamless substitution is red wine vinegar.
- 6- Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette with the reserved tomato juices and chopped fresh parsley.
- 7- Once all the chopping, dicing and toasting are done, you’re ready to toss everything together. Be sure to use a very large serving platter or salad bowl.
If planning to serve the salad with fresh mozzarella, tear the mozzarella ball into small portions, and nestle them around the salad.
For those embracing a vegan lifestyle, you can omit the fresh mozzarella altogether while creating a delicious plant-based alternative or swap the fresh mozzarella for a creamy vegan soft cheese.
Can Panzanella be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, Panzanella can be made ahead of time and is best served after it has been tossed and marinated with the vinaigrette for 1 hour. Any longer than that, the bread gets slightly soggier.
This is fine if you prefer slightly moister bread. But I crave a balance of a gentle chew with a satisfying texture to every bite.
Either way, your taste buds will thank you with every bite of this summer salad with strawberries.
More Time Saving Tips
-Toast the bread and store it in a ziplock bag at room temperature up to a day before you plan to serve. Don’t refrigerate the toasted bread because it will absorb moisture in the fridge.
-You can also prep all the vegetables ahead of time and store them in separate containers or ziplock bags.
-For optimal freshness, wash, haul and slice the strawberries when you’re ready to prepare the bread salad.
More Fruit and Veggie Salads
- A delightful, crisp and light refreshing Fennel and Pomegranate Salad that is almost too pretty to eat.
- A nutrient-packed Apple and Walnut Kale Salad is perfect served alongside fish, poultry or any other meat dish and is an all-year-round delight.
- Enjoy the delicious combination of sweet and spicy with a refreshing Watermelon and Arugula Salad.
Panzanella Salad with Strawberries
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet to toast the bread
- 1 Large Mixing bowl
- 1 Serving Platter
Ingredients
For The Salad
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (sliced)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 8 slices rustic-style bread, cubed. Mine totalled 4 cups. (such as ciabatta or sourdough bread)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 4 mini cucumbers (diced)
- 4 cups sliced strawberries (loosely packed)
- 1 small red onion (thinly sliced)
- salt and pepper
For The Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar (I used a white wine from Pinot Grigio)
- 1 large garlic clove (minced)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- salt (to your taste)
- pepper (fresh grind, to your taste)
- a pinch of sugar
Salad Topping
- 250 grams fresh mozzarella di latte, torn into pieces (soft fresh cheese, optional)
Instructions
Panzanella Salad
- Start by placing the sliced tomatoes in a colander set over a bowl and toss with 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes. (the salt will draw out some of the juices from the tomatoes, we will then drain and use the juices in the vinaigrette.)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the bread slices into crouton-sized pieces and transfer the bread pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden and let cool.
- Place the diced cucumber, sliced strawberries and red onion in a large bowl.
- Add in the drained tomatoes while keeping the juices aside for the vinaigrette.
- Toss in the cooled croutons with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Set aside to prepare the vinaigrette.
Vinaigrette for the Panzanella Salad
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette including the reserved juice from the drained tomatoes.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, and toss.
- Allow the Panzanella salad to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
- Transfer the Panzanella salad onto a large serving platter and top with torn fresh mozzarella pieces when ready to serve, allowing everyone to help themselves.
- Or plate individual servings on a salad plate topped with a torn piece of fresh mozzarella.
- For a VEGAN option, swap the fresh mozzarella for a plant-based alternative soft cheese.
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