Panzanella Salad

Panzanella salad or Tuscan Chopped salad recipe is traditionally a bread and tomato salad. This Panzanella salad recipe adds pickled baby bell peppers, new potatoes, avocado, radishes, red onions, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and tofu feta in a tasty balsamic vinegarette dressing.

One of my favorite summertime salads is a Panzanella or Tuscan chopped salad recipe. Also called a tomato bread salad or bread salad, Panzanella salad can be made in various ways, making it easy to create your unique version. My version, of course, is oil-free and full of vegetables! 

Jump to:

• Panzanella Salad Ingredients
• Panzanella Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Panzanella Salad
• Assembling the Panzanella Salad Recipe
• Dressing Ingredients
• Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Great Summer Salads to Escape the Heat
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

A hearty cold salad is just what we need during the summer, especially on hot summer nights! 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. 

Panzanella Salad Ingredients

• Baby Bell Peppers: For this recipe, baby bell peppers are marinated in vinegar and maple syrup for a pickled pepper experience.
• New Potatoes: New potatoes are freshly harvested, young or small. They are the same varieties as their larger counterparts but are harvested earlier in the season when they are sweet than their older counterparts. Also, because these potatoes are harvested young, their skins are very tender and flaky.
• Spinach: I buy organic spinach and love to add it to other greens in a salad for a different texture and flavor.
• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is my favorite because it stays crunchy even after the salad is dressed.
• Snacking Tomatoes: I love snacking tomatoes because they are tiny and pop in your mouth. You don't need to cut them; they just fit in your mouth with one delicious bite.
• Radishes: Radishes add crunch as well as pizzaz to the salad. Choose watermelon radishes for a vibrant pink color.
• Cucumber: I like English cucumbers because they contain fewer seeds than traditional cucumbers and prevent the salad from getting soggy.
• Kalamata Olives: Kalamata olives have a unique, bold flavor. They are my favorite type of olives!
• Tofu Feta Cheese (Optional): Tofu feta cheese is an optional ingredient; however, adding tofu feta gives the salad an extra protein boost and a rich, savory flavor.
• Red Onion: Red onions are tangy and sweet at the same time.
• Avocado: Avocado adds creaminess and freshness to the salad.
• Basil: Fresh basil adds fresh flavor and an Italian flare to this Italian salad recipe.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley adds freshness.
• Mint: Mint adds a flavorful summer twist to the salad, and it is growing like a weed in my garden.
• Vegan Sourdough Bread: I buy my sourdough bread at Costco during the winter month and at the farmer's market, where my favorite bakery sells vegan oil-free bread.

Panzanella Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Large bell peppers of any color replace baby bell peppers. If using larger peppers, remove the stem and seeds, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Any small potatoes substitute new potatoes in this recipe.
• Choose any combination of greens. For a peppery bold flavor, choose arugula.
• Grape tomatoes are similar in size to snacking tomatoes.
• Parsnips offer the same crunch and texture as radishes.
• Persian cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers in terms of seeds and flavor.
• Yellow onion is often substituted for red onion in recipes.
• Instead of avocado, add white beans, for a creamy texture.
• If using dried herbs, use half the amount of fresh herbs because dried herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs.
• Use any available bread. For a gluten-free salad, choose your favorite gluten-free bread.

How to Make Panzanella Salad

Pickled Baby Bell Peppers

First, I used mini bell peppers and pickled them before making my salad. Like the 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.

1. Cut the baby bell peppers into rings, removing the seeds and stems.
2. Place the cut baby bell pepper pieces into a bowl or jar.
3. In a saucepan, boil the vinegar with agave nectar or maple syrup.
4. Pour the mixture over the baby bell peppers and allow to cool at room temperature.
5. Place the marinating baby bell peppers into the refrigerator to chill.
6. When ready to use the peppers, remove the amount you want to add to the salad and place the pieces on a paper towel to remove any excess brine.
7. Add to the salad.

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. 

Toasted Sourdough Bread

Many recipes suggest using stale bread in the Panzanella salad, but I didn't have any.

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Bake the cubed vegan sourdough bread in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes until it was crispy.
3. Like a crouton but oil-free, stale bread or bread baked in the oven, it works perfectly well for a Tuscan chopped salad. 

New Potatoes

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. 

1. Choose potatoes of similar size and cut each potato in half.
2. Place the cut potatoes in a pot and cover with water.
3. Add a teaspoon of salt and boil for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
4. Remove from the heat, drain in a colander, and run cold water over the potatoes until room temperature.
5. Refrigerate the potatoes until ready to make the salad.

Assembling the Panzanella Salad Recipe

1. When the potatoes are cooled and the baby bell peppers are pickled, it's time to layer the ingredients in a large salad bowl.
2. Begin by placing the greens in the bottom of the salad bowl.
3. Then, add the potatoes and the rest of the ingredients, adding the bread last. 
4. Although the Panzanella salad recipe can be made beforehand, I suggest not adding the avocado or dressing until right before serving. 

Dressing Ingredients

• Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar tastes like a rich, complex sweetness that explodes in the mouth with notes of fig, molasses, cherry, chocolate, or prune. Traditional balsamic should pick up the flavors of the wood it matured in and may have a slight smokiness. Traditional balsamic offers a mellow tartness rather than a firm acidity.
• Water: The water acts as an emulsifier in the absence of oil.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is flavor-forward in terms of providing a rich and savory flavor to the dressing.
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is sweet yet contains no refined sugar.
• Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic cloves whenever possible.
• Italian Seasoning: An aromatic mix of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram brings Italian flavor to many dishes.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper: I like using fresh ground pepper from peppercorns for the best flavor.
• Sea Salt: A little salt enhances the flavors in the dressing.
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional): A pinch of red pepper flakes adds a lot of flavor to the dressing; however, if you are sensitive to spice, skip it.

Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose a flavored balsamic vinegar you enjoy.
• Stone ground mustard is similar to dijon mustard in terms of flavor.
• Date syrup or agave replace maple syrup in recipes.
• One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Make homemade Italian seasoning with 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil., 2 teaspoons dried thyme (not ground),1 teaspoon dried sage—½ teaspoon dried rosemary.
• Use regular black pepper instead of fresh ground pepper.
• Skip the salt or choose a salt-free option for a sodium-free option.

Not only is this dressing oil-free, but when it soaks into the cubes of bread, the flavors explode in your mouth!

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• To manage time effectively, make the pickled baby bell peppers first.
• Then, boil the potatoes while you cut the other vegetables.
• Next, cook the bread while you make the 5-minute dressing.
• Cut everything into bite-sized pieces to make it easier to eat.
• You can use a vegetable chopper to expedite vegetable preparation.
• Do not add the brad to the salad until ready to serve.
• If planning to have leftovers, separate the cooked bread from the other salad ingredients to prevent the pieces of bread from getting soggy.
• Allow the bell peppers to cool to room temperature before placing them in the refrigerator.

For a hearty entree summer salad, try this Panzanella salad recipe!

Great Summer Salads to Escape the Heat

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