One of my favorite summertime salads is a Panzanella salad or Tuscan chopped salad. Also called a tomato bread salad or bread salad, Panzanella salad can be made in various ways, making it easy to create your own unique version. My version, of course, is oil-free and full of vegetables!
During the summer, especially on hot summer nights, a hearty cold salad is just what we need! This week, in Arizona, for instance, the temperatures are above 105, which makes a week full of wonderful salad recipes for me to share with you.
Although Panzanella salad also makes a beautiful salad to accompany any meal, tonight, my Panzanella salad recipe is an entree.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN PANZANELLA SALAD RECIPE?
Technically, Panzanella salad is made with stale bread and tomatoes, but that seems a little boring to me, so let's add some more ingredients. Since I'm making a vegan mega Panzanella salad, I gave it my own special twist of ingredients.
First, I use mini bell peppers and pickled them before making my salad. Like Simple Rosemary Infused Pickled Red Onions recipe, I boil white vinegar and agave (or maple syrup) and soak my sliced baby bell peppers for a few hours before adding them to the salad. As a result, the baby bell peppers are tangy and delicious.
- Baby Bell Peppers (different colors)
- New Potatoes
- Salad Greens (I used spinach and Romaine Lettuce)
- Snacking Tomatoes (variety of colors)
- Radishes
- Cucumber
- Kalama Olives
- Tofu Feta Cheese (optional but a yummy addition)
- Red Onion
- Avocado
- Basil
- Parsely
- Mint
- Vegan Sour Dough Bread (or bread of choice)
Once the baby bell peppers are marinating, you can begin making the Tuscan chopped salad recipe. Because the salad is best prepared beforehand, I chop my bread and vegetables while I boil my potatoes.
PREPARING THE BREAD FOR PANZANELLA SALAD RECIPE
Many recipes suggest using stale bread in the Panzanella salad, but I didn't have any. Instead, I baked my cubed vegan sourdough bread in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes until it was crispy. Like a crouton, but oil-free, stale bread, or bread baked in the oven, it works perfectly well for a Tuscan chopped salad.
PREPARING THE POTATOES FOR PANZANELLA SALAD
Even though Panzanella salad is traditionally a tomato and bread salad, I like to add new potatoes and a variety of vegetables to make a more filling, satisfying salad recipe.
PREPARING THE POTATOES
- Choose potatoes of similar size and cut each potato in half
- Place the cut potatoes in a pot and cover with water
- Add a teaspoon of salt and boil for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork
- Remove from the heat and drain in a colander, and run cold water over the potatoes until room temperature
- Refrigerate until ready to make the salad
LAYERING THE PANZANELLA SALAD RECIPE INGREDIENTS IN A BOWL
When the potatoes are cooled, and the baby bell peppers are pickled, it's time to layer the ingredients in a large salad bowl. Begin by placing the greens in the bottom of the salad bowl. Then, add the potatoes and start adding the rest of the ingredients, adding the bread last.
Although Panzanella salad recipe can be made ahead of time, I suggest not adding the avocado or dressing until right before serving.
DON"T FORGET THE MOST IMPORTANT PART...THE OIL-FREE DRESSING
INGREDIENTS FOR THE OIL-FREE BALSAMIC DRESSING
- Balsamic vinegar
- Water
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- Garlic minced
- Italian seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sea salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Not only is this dressing oil-free, but when it soaks into the cubes of bread, the flavors explode in your mouth!
LOOKING FOR GREAT SUMMER SALADS TO ESCAPE THE HEAT?
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Antipasto Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Blackberry Salad
- Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Grape Salad
- Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- Chopped Southwest Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Asparagus Salad
- Spinach Pasta Salad
📖 Recipe
Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
Pickled Baby Bell Peppers
- 6 baby bell peppers different colors. sliced thin
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Agave or Maple Syrup
Tofu Feta Cheese (Optional)
- 1 recipe tofu feta cheese
New Potatoes
- 1 pound new potatoes of similar size cut in halves
Vegetables
- 6 cups greens of choice I used spinach and Romaine
- 6 ounces snacking tomatoes different colors, cut in half
- ½ red onion cut into thin slivers
- 1 English cucumber sliced thin
- ½ cup radishes sliced thin
- ½ cup kalamata lives sliced in halves
- 1 avocado diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ⅛ cup fresh mint chopped
BREAD
- 3 slices vegan sourdough bread cut into cubes (or bread of choice)
Dressing
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
Pickled Baby Bell Peppers
- Slice baby bell peppers thin and set aside in a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine white vinegar and agave (or maple syrup)
- Stir and bring to a boil
- Remove from heat
- Pour mixture into the bowl with the sliced baby bell peppers.
- Stir and place the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate
TOFU FETA CHEESE (OPTIONAL)
- Prepare tofu feta cheesehead of time
PREPARING THE POTATOES
- Wash and cut each potato in half
- Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water; add a teaspoon of salt.
- Boil for 30 minutes or until a fork can pierce the potatoes, indicating they are done.
- Drain in a colander, and run cold water over to the potatoes until the potatoes are cool
- Place the cool potatoes in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the salad.
PREPARING THE BREAD
- If using stale bread, just cut into cubes and use as is
- Or, if you are using fresh bread, cut it into cubes.
- Preheat an oven to 300 degrees
- Place cubed bread on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Bake for 10 minutes until crispy
BALSAMIC DRESSING
- In a high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Refrigerate the dressing until assembling the salad
ASSEMBLING THE SALAD
- Place the greens in the bottom of the bowl.
- Drain the baby bell peppers, set them aside
- Begin to layer the ingredients by placing the potatoes and all the other vegetables, adding the bread last.
- Pour the dressing over the top and toss together
- Add herbs on top
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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