Panzanella Tuscan Summer Bread Salad
My WFPB version of Panzanella Tuscan Summer Bread Salad is more than a recipe. It’s now a memory. It’s a forever passion. It’s a celebration of summer produce.
I rediscovered it at Redd’s Restaurant in my hometown of Rochester, NY in the summer of
Post Date: September 7, 2023
Update: June 25, 2025
Posted by: Donna SpencerThis post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
2021. We split an order of their Panzanella Salad (now off the menu), and it was love at first bite. It wasn’t completely WFPB (had some cheese) or oil-free—but the concept stuck with me. Later, I revisited this beautiful dish during a Cooking in Tuscany with Chicca class. This experience deepened my appreciation for Panzanella’s rustic simplicity.
Since then, I’ve reinvented it to be fully WFPB and oil-free, and I’m now completely hooked. To say I’m obsessed with this salad is an understatement. I think this salad might just be the eighth wonder of the world.
A True Taste of Tuscany
Panzanella is one of the most beloved traditional recipes from Tuscany, and it’s easy to see why. It’s rustic, satisfying, and incredibly refreshing in the summer heat. But let’s be clear: this is a bread salad with tomatoes—not a tomato salad with bread (wink wink). That distinction makes all the difference.
The true magic of Panzanella lies in how it transforms simple, humble ingredients—stale bread, ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs—into something crave-worthy.
What Makes My Version Different?
Whole Food, Plant-Based (WFPB)
Most traditional Panzanella recipes call for generous amounts of olive oil. I wanted to create a version without needing any oil. Yet, I did not want to lose any of the richness or satisfaction. The answer? Plant-based yogurt.
Creamy and tangy, it binds the flavors together and adds a depth that even olive oil can’t match. This small but powerful swap makes the salad lighter, healthier, and fully compliant with whole-food, plant-based eating.
Ingredients That Shine
This salad really comes alive when you use peak-season heirloom tomatoes—the juicier, the better. And if you’re lucky enough to grow your own, even better! Otherwise, seek out a local farm stand or farmers market for the freshest flavor.
The other key? Stale, crusty bread. This is your chance to repurpose those forgotten ends of a sourdough or rustic loaf. Toasting helps them stand up to the juicy dressing without turning to mush.
No Waste, Just Flavor
This recipe gives stale bread slices a beautiful second life. You combine an abundance of ripe summer tomatoes with a handful of fresh basil. Add a tangy yogurt dressing, and you’ve got a dish that’s both frugal and fabulous.
Tips for the Best Panzanella
- Toast the bread: If it’s not fully stale, toast the cubes in the oven until crisp. This helps them absorb flavor without breaking down.
- Salt the tomatoes: Let them sit with a bit of salt to draw out their juices. This liquid becomes the base for your “dressing.”
- Don’t skip the soak: Once everything’s combined, let the salad rest for 30 minutes to absorb flavor before serving.
- Use fresh basil generously: It’s not just garnish—it’s an essential ingredient.
How to Serve
- Serve chilled or at room temperature, ideally outdoors with a chilled glass of sparkling water or a mocktail.
- It’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, or light summer dinners. Prep ahead storing on separate containers then toss together 20 minutes before serving.
- For extra protein, consider topping it with chickpeas or white beans.
Grocery List
Produce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Red Onion
Fresh Basil
Fresh Parsley
Pantry
Apple Cider or Red Wine Vinegar
Stale Bread
Misc
Plain Plant-Based Yogurt
Water
Pepper
Add-Ins and Substitutions
Good add-ins would be any stone fruit. Using copious tomatoes adds a wide variety of colors, textures, and flavors.
You can use zucchini in place of the cucumber. Try adding in a few pinches of dried herbs. Use red pepper flakes, greek oregano, or marjoram if you have them. This is not necessary as the dressing really can stand alone and is packed with flavor.
I have made this with cornbread and ciabatta croutons which are both wonderful. Cut your bread into 1 inch cubes and bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn/toss and bake for another 10 minutes or until completed dried and crunchy.
Use leftovers for my Healthy Tuscan Bread Soup (Pancotto or Ribollita).
Storing
Best if eaten within 1 day.
Nutrition 411
Tomatoes are the major source of the antioxidant lycopene. It has been linked to many health benefits. These include a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a fruit from the nightshade family native to South America. They are technically a fruit but are generally eaten and prepared like a vegetable. They are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. (trusted source).
Onions contain antioxidants and sulfur-containing compounds. They have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, lower blood sugar levels, and improved bone health. Onions consist mostly of water, carbs, and fiber. With fructans being their main fibers, they feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. Onions are a healthy component of human diets. However, they can be deadly for some animals. These animals include dogs, cats, horses, and monkeys. (trusted source).
Panzanella Bread Salad
Equipment
- Chef Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large serving bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 1½-2 cups 2-3 day stale bread ~ sourdough, whole or ancient grain or ciabatta (if fresh, toast until it dries and hardens)
- 2-3 cups tomatoes – chopped in ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup seedless cucumber a small cucumber, diced in small pieces
- ½ cup onion – a small sweet or red onion finely sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves rough chopped
- 4 tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoon Plain plant based yogurt I use the Culina brand
Gluten Free Ciabatta
- 2 cups gluten free flour I use the Caputo brand
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1¼ cups warm water no hotter than 115 degrees F
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast rapid rise is best but traditional is fine
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon agave
Instructions
Salad
- Prepare each component for the Panzanella separately.
The onion
- In a small bowl, soak the sliced onion with 4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and 4 Tbsp water. Soak for at least 30 minutes. After this time, the onion will lose its pungent flavor and will get softer and sweeter.
The tomatoes
- Dice the tomatoes into ½ inch pieces and place them in a bowl. Season the tomatoes with 2 pinches of salt. This pre-seasoning will drain the juice out that we will add later to the bread.
The cucumber
- In another small bowl, place the diced cucumber and sprinkle with two pinches of salt. Mix well and set aside. The salt will drain the liquid out.
The bread
- If you have time and are gluten free, you can make the Gluten Free Ciabatta recipe included here. Otherwise purchase a good sourdough, whole or ancient grain bread.
- In a colander, wash the dry, diced bread under running water just until softened (about 20 seconds). The duration of this wash depends on how hard your bread is and which type you’re using.
- Bread texture note: If the bread is still hard, add more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time.If it’s too wet, squeeze it very well to remove the excess liquid.The final texture should be softened but still holding its shape. You don’t want to feel the water when you eat the salad. Remember that the bread will also soak up the seasoning (vinegar and tomato juice) we’re adding next. So you can always adjust consistency later.
- Season the bread with 2 Tbsp vinegar, 4 Tbsp water, 1-2 pinches of salt, a sprinkle of black pepper. Set aside.
Assemble the panzanella
- In a colander, drain the cucumber and onion from their liquid. Reserve the liquid.
- Add cucumber and onion to the serving bowl with the bread.
- Mix reserved cucumber/onion liquid with plant based yogurt to make a salad dressing.
- Add tomatoes to the bread.
- In bowl with tomatoes, bread, cucumber and onion, pour salad dressing over.
- Add basil and parsley leaves into the salad.
- Mix together and adjust seasoning with more water, salt and pepper to your taste. You’re now ready to serve.
Make the Gluten Free Ciabatta
- Prepare the Dough:In a large bowl, mix the gluten-free all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.In a separate bowl, combine the warm water, and apple cider vinegar.Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly until you get a smooth, sticky dough. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for this step, mixing on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shaping the Dough: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. The dough will be sticky, so dust your hands and the surface with gluten-free flour to handle it more easily.Gently shape the dough into a rectangular or oval loaf, roughly resembling the traditional ciabatta shape. Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared baking sheet.
- Second Rise: Let the dough rise again for about 30-45 minutes, covered with a damp towel, until it has puffed up slightly
- Baking: Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.Allow the ciabatta to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.Tips:For extra flavor, you can add herbs like rosemary or thyme to the dough.To achieve a crispier crust, you can place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven while baking to create steam.Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- The classic panzanella is rigorously made with a 2-3 day stale Tuscan bread, which has a very unique consistency when soaked and squeezed. Its crumb remains grainy, having almost the texture of a couscous. It’s hard to get the same texture with another quality of bread. Usually, you’ll end up with something like porridge, which is not a great texture for this salad.
- It’s important to use stale bread, the drier the better. The amount of water the bread will absorb should be just enough to get rehydrated, without ending up too mushy. Toasting the stale bread helps dry it out and makes a better texture, in case there’s some moisture left.
- I have made this with cornbread and ciabatta croutons which are both wonderful. Cut your bread into 1 inch cubes and bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn/toss and bake for another 10 minutes or until completed dried and crunchy.
- If using fresh bread, toast it in the oven until dry and hard.
- The original panzanella, of which we have recordings from the 1500s in poems and paintings, didn’t make use of tomatoes. Tomatoes arrived in the Old World just after the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus officially set foot in the Americas. He came back to Western Europe with some tomato plants that were grown in gardens just for their beauty. Only later do tomatoes find their way to the kitchen, becoming a staple for many recipes. Lucky for us!
- You can use different types of tomatoes, according to your taste. It’s nice to mix different varieties and colors, to have different textures.
- There’s no limit to what you can add to Panzanella to make your own summer salad. In Livorno they add anchovies, in Florence celery and thyme, in Viareggio tuna, pickles, boiled eggs, capers, rucola, raw or roasted bell peppers and so on. Just find your inspiration.
- Regarding cheeses, none is required but if you want, vegan feta or mozzarella would great.
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
I occasionally include affiliate links. I do not recommend products, services, or books I have never used or purchased myself. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
SPAM
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
