panzanella

A delicious, simple tomato salad featuring hearty pieces of sourdough bread. 

Panzanella Salad Recipe

To be honest, I never really bought into panzanellas until I had one at a restaurant recently. It was incredible, and I fully bought into the hype. As with all of my tomato recipes, it relies on the freshest ingredients possible to yield the best results. The best part of it is that the sourdough soaks up all the delicious juices from the dressing and tomatoes for a mouthwatering taste in every bite. Make it now, while the tomatoes are still at their best.  

Ingredients for Panzanella Salad

  • ​​2 pints cherry tomatoes, the reddest ones you can find
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups bread, about 1/3 standard sourdough loaf
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

For the dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove, grated with a microplane
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 lemon, juiced

How to Make Panzanella Salad

  1. Rip the sourdough into small pieces in a large bowl. Cover with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to combine.
  2. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and bake the bread for about 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on it. Let cool.
  3. Slice the tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the same bowl that you mixed the bread in. Stir in the onions.
  4. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
  5. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and toss to combine.
  6. Add the bread pieces to the tomato mixture so it gets covered with the tomato juices and the dressing. Serve immediately.

What You’ll Need

We selected these products because we love them, and hope you do too. Baked by Melissa has an affiliate relationship, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not Baked by Melissa.