Panzanella — Bread, Tomatoes and Summer Romance 

Ripe-to-bursting tomatoes meet bread that’s seen better days, and you have a recipe for summer romance.  Actually, you have a recipe for panzanella, Italy’s classic bread salad.

Across the Middle East, they make a tomato-bread salad using  old pita and call it fattoush. In Tunisia, they call it blankit.  In fact, traditional cuisines of all kinds have a history of transforming a simple, often stale, loaf of bread into a meal.  

The name and the ingredients may change, but the idea is the same everywhere — 

• old bread
• fresh tomatoes
• extra virgin olive oil 
• a zing of acidity from vinegar or lemon

Put them all together and taste the magic. 

What makes panzanella a winner is its something-from-almost-nothing appeal. It’s a dish born of frugality and expedience, of making the most of what you have, even if it’s very little. 

Panzanella makes you more kitchen conscious, reduces waste, and rewards you with a quick, cheap, satisfying meal.  Plus it can feed a crowd. With a little creativity, a well-stocked larder, and a desire to feed those you love, there’s always enough to eat.

 Stretch and embellish panzanella by adding any number of ingredients.  Some suggestions:

• beans, like chickpeas or cannellini 
• sliced cucumber
• thinly sliced onion or scallions
• cooked green beans
• roasted vegetables
• sliced radishes 
• shaved fennel
• artichoke hearts
• olives
• capers 
• fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, parsley, dill and mint 
• tender greens like arugula, spinach and sorrel

 It uses old bread in a new way.  What’s not to love?

How do you Panzanella?

How to Make Panzanella:

1. Place sliced or diced tomatoes and minced garlic in a colander. Sprinkle with sea salt.   
2. Place colander over a bowl so you catch all the tomato juice. Leave in a cool spot for an hour or longer, or refrigerate overnight.
3. Whisk olive oil into tomato and garlic juice for a minute, or until emulsified. Add cumin, red pepper flakes and coriander. Whisk in vinegar.
4. Tumble bread cubes onto a generous platter or serving bowl. Pour half the dressing over the bread. Mix gently. Wait a few minutes so the bread can absorb the flavors.
5. Scatter in the herbs, and finally the tomatoes. 
6. Pour on the remaining vinaigrette, mix gently and serve.

Tips

• For best results, use a day-old loaf of Italian bread https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/italian-bread-101-recipe, or baguette. I like a good grainy whole wheat loaf, and keep the crusts on.
• Keep it simple.  Or not.  I’ve made panzanella with so many ingredients, the tomatoes and bread are outnumbered. But they’re must-haves.  Keep the tomatoes and keep the bread.  Without stale bread, you just have salad.
• Use what you have. Chef Massimo Bottura,https://osteriafrancescana.it/massimo-bottura/ eve has made panzanella with stale bagels.
• Use what’s in season.  Let seasonal produce guide you. Panzanella can be springy, with grape tomatoes, fresh peas, asparagus and lemon zest. It can be summery, with big fat tomatoes and sliced roasted eggplant and zucchini.  
• My friend T says eating too much fattoush, will give you a fat tush. Don’t believe him. 

Related Recipes 

Chef José Andrés’ fattoush  

Chef Massimo Bottura’s Mexican bagel panzanella 

Michelin-star Chef Cristiano Tomei shared a panzanella recipe and more during the worst of pandemic lockdown.

Pappa al pomodoro. Another brilliant use for stale bread and ripe tomatoes  pappa al pomodoro is bread and tomato soup. I love it hot, but you can also serve it chilled for summer, like gazpacho.

Panzanella

Panzanella, your classic Mediterranean tomato-bread salad is a great way to play up end-of-season tomatoes and use up tired bread, too. Plus, it feeds a crowd. You can stretch and embellish it by adding any number of ingredients, including drained chickpeas, chopped cooked green beans, kalamata olives, diced cucumber or chopped roasted peppers, but at heart, the recipe relies on good bread and ripe tomatoes. Panzanella can be heavy on the oil. Here, the dressing features the collected juice of chopped tomatoes, keeping it light and bright.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic or rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 loaf day-old rustic whole grain bread cubed (about 6 cups), crusts on, if you please
• 2 cups fresh herbs chopped — parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, basil, dill, arugula, or in any combination

Instructions

 

• Smash garlic and dice tomatoes and place them in a colander over a bowl, so you catch all the tomato juice. Leave in a cool spot for an hour or longer, or refrigerate overnight.
• Whisk olive oil into tomato and garlic juice for a minute, or until emulsified. Add cumin, red pepper flakes and coriander. Whisk in vinegar.
• Tumble bread cubes onto a generous platter or serving bowl. Pour half the dressing over the bread. Mix gently. Wait a few minutes so the bread can absorb the flavors.
• Scatter in the herbs, and finally the tomatoes. Add the remaining vinaigrette, mix gently and serve.
• Recipe doubles easily. Sturdy enough to survive sitting around at a picnic or buffet.

Keyword Panzanella

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