Irresistible Spring Panzanella (Printable)
Vibrant Italian bread salad with crisp vegetables, tomatoes, and fresh herbs for a perfect light meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Bread
01 - 7 oz crusty sourdough or ciabatta, cut into ¾ inch cubes
02 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
→ Vegetables
03 - 9 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 6 radishes, thinly sliced
07 - 3.5 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
08 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
→ Herbs
09 - 1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
10 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
11 - 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
12 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
13 - 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
15 - ½ tsp Dijon mustard
16 - ½ tsp sea salt
17 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the bread cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and spread on a baking tray. Toast for 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, sugar snap peas, and spring onions.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper.
04 - Add the toasted bread cubes and fresh herbs to the salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss gently to combine.
05 - Allow the salad to rest for 10 minutes, letting the bread absorb some dressing and vegetable juices. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The bread transforms into these golden crunchy croutons that soak up all the bright vinaigrette while still keeping their bite
- It tastes like someone captured the essence of a spring garden and put it in a bowl
- You can prep everything ahead and just toss before serving
02 -
- The bread will continue to soften as it sits so plan to eat this within an hour of tossing
- Snap peas can be swapped for asparagus tips or blanched green beans depending on what looks best at the market
03 -
- Cut all your vegetables roughly the same size so every forkful has the perfect balance
- If your bread is fresh toast it a bit longer to make sure it holds up to the dressing