A Tangy Tuscan Salad -- Panzanella

Nothing beats a fresh salad during these hot summer months. Panzanella is a dish originating in Tuscany, Italy and it packs a ton of flavor.

This tangy recipe is great if you have some stale bread lying around or if you’re in the mood for something crunchy!

With only a few ingredients, this dish packs a punch. It typically includes fresh tomatoes, onions and, occasionally, cucumber. It all gets tossed in olive oil and vinegar mixed with your toasty bread.

This all gets topped with basil which provides a nice herby bite.

Some versions of this dish incorporate fresh mozzarella, olives, capers, garlic, celery and a ton of other fresh ingredients to add some extra flavor.

Today, I am going to make a simple version of this recipe that will be sure to satisfy your taste buds.

If you’d like to make this recipe for yourself, follow the steps below!

Recipe

Cut up the bread into bite sized pieces and coat drizzle generously with olive oil. (I used truffle infused olive oil for this step and it added a ton of flavor!)
Mix thoroughly, making sure to absorb all the olive oil with the bread.
You can bake this in an oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit until golden brown or in the air fryer at 375 degrees for about 4 minutes.
Next, get a bowl ready. Add equal parts red wine vinegar and olive oil. I used about 1/4 cup of each, but this is going to depend on how much bread you are using.
Add the dijon, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using, and whisk.
Add the tomatoes and onion and coat thoroughly. (If you are using extra ingredients, now would be the time to add it.)
Add the bread batch by batch to fully coat all the pieces, and mix thoroughly with each batch added. This allows the bread to absorb the dressing and melds all the flavors together.
Lastly, top with fresh basil and mozzarella.
Serve and enjoy!