Panzanella – Tuscan Summer Salad

Panzanella is the Italian salad — more precisely from Tuscany — that I love to make in summer. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and only requires a few simple ingredients. It's truly delicious when made with good seasonal vegetables and a quality extra virgin olive oil.

This salad is made with tomatoes, cucumber, stale bread, red onion, and basil, all brought together with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a splash of vinegar. I like to add a bit of Parmesan or a few anchovies to give the dish a salty touch.

Panzanella is also the perfect salad for using up slightly dry bread. In the traditional version, the stale bread is soaked in water and red wine vinegar, but I prefer to toast it into croutons — it adds a nice contrast in texture with the fresh vegetables.

ingrédients :

• Cucumber

• Tomatoes

• Red onion

• Stale bread

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Vinegar (white wine or red wine)

• Fresh basil leaves

• Salt & pepper

Preparation : 

Place the bread pieces in a bowl with cold water and a splash of white wine vinegar. Let them soak and rehydrate, then squeeze out the excess liquid.
// Alternatively, toast the bread dry in a pan to make croutons.

Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into pieces of your preferred size. Peel the red onions and slice them into thin strips.

To assemble:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

Add the basil leaves and dress with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Season lightly with salt.

Let the salad rest in the fridge before serving — this allows the flavors to meld beautifully.

You can also customize this salad with extra toppings like olives, Parmesan, anchovies, tuna, or prosciutto.