panzanella salad recipe from Tuscany

Learn how to make authentic Tuscan Panzanella, the Italian bread salad that turns stale bread into one of summer’s most refreshing dishes.

THE ITALIAN ART OF NOT WASTING BREAD

In Italy, stale bread is rarely thrown away.

It becomes breadcrumbs.

Bruschetta.

Soups.

Or, in Tuscany, Panzanella.

This humble summer salad transforms yesterday’s bread into one of Italy’s most beloved warm-weather dishes, simply by pairing it with ripe tomatoes, red onions, basil, olive oil, and vinegar.

It’s proof that some of the best Italian recipes were born not from abundance, but from making the most of what was already in the kitchen.

panzanella salad
panzanella salad recipe

THE AUTHENTIC PANZANELLA

Traditional Tuscan Panzanella is made with stale Tuscan bread—famously baked without salt.

The original recipe calls for soaking the bread in water for about thirty minutes before squeezing it very gently until it becomes soft and crumbly.

Personally, I prefer another approach.

I simply cube the bread and let it rest with the tomatoes and dressing.

It absorbs all the juices while keeping a little bite, which I find much more satisfying.

If you’d like to turn Panzanella into a complete meal, boiled eggs or good-quality canned tuna make wonderful additions.

panzanella salad in Tuscany

HOW TO MAKE PANZANELLA

Making Panzanella couldn’t be easier.

Prepare the bread using your preferred method, combine it with tomatoes, onions, basil, olive oil, vinegar, and salt, then let everything rest for a while before serving.

That waiting time is what allows the bread to absorb all the summer flavors.

panzanella salad served for lunch with a summer Tuscan view
panzanella salad recipe on the Simposio magazine laying on a cooking table
panzanella salad in a white bowl next to the Simposio Italian cooking magazine
Italian panzanella salad recipe #gourmetproject
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panzanella salad recipe

Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 472 kcal
Author Claudia Rinaldi | Gourmet Project

Ingredients

  • 7 oz Tuscan or casareccio stale bread - 200 gr
  • 2 tomatoes - medium
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves - five to seven leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt

Instructions

  1. If you want a crunchy salad, simply dice the bread. If you want the classic salad, soak it in water for at least thirty minutes. Then squeeze it very, very well: you should get a breadcrumb-like consistency.

  2. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, more or less the same size of the bread.

  3. Peel and thinly slice the onion.

  4. Coarsely chop the basil leaves with your hands.

  5. Place the tomatoes, the onion, and the basil leaves in a large bowl. Season with the vinegar, one to two tablespoons of olive oil, and salt to your taste.

  6. Add the bread and mix well.

  7. Rest fifteen to thirty minutes at room temperature - or in the fridge if it is summer and a hot day.

Recipe Notes

If you have fresh bread, toast it a few minutes in a very hot oven.

You can add a thinly sliced cucumber, boiled eggs, or canned tuna.

FROM SOUTHERN SUMMER SIMPOSIO

Panzanella is one of the recipes featured in Southern Summer Simposio, where Italy’s warmest season comes alive through recipes, traditions, landscapes, and everyday rituals.

It also belongs to the Piatto Unico Project, a collection of easy Italian one-dish meals inspired by summer living.

Enjoy your Tuscan Panzanella!

Claudia