Panzanella Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What ingredients are in a panzanella salad? ›

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

It's also a great starter to a fun Italian menu with anything including sundried tomato pasta, eggplant parmesan, chicken pesto, or Fish of your choice. Panzanella can also be the perfect summer salad for your next BBQ with things like chicken kabobs, lamb burgers, or grilled shrimp.

Meaning of panzanella in English

an Italian salad made with stale (= not fresh) bread in oil and tomatoes, and often other vegetables: Stale bread can be used in panzanella, a Tuscan bread salad.

Earthy beets, vibrant orange, and fresh herbs like dill, parsley, tarragon, and mint add depth to the entire dish. Food and Wine's roundup of eighteen amazing Italian salads including a panzanella recipe is a great place to start. The options are endless and will leave your mouth watering.

Panzanella comes from the regions of central Italy: Toscana, Lazio, Umbria, Marche and Abruzzo, but the Tuscan one is perhaps the most famous. At its most basic, it is a mix of old, dry bread, soaked, squeezed and crumbled, tomatoes, red onions and basil, dressed with oil and vinegar and eaten slightly chilled.

The name is believed to be a portmanteau of "pane", Italian for 'bread', and "zanella", a deep plate in which it is served.

Panzanella originated in the central Italian countryside, where farmers combined surplus vegetables with old bread to cut down on waste. They soaked the bread in cold water to give it a chewy texture, then tossed it with vinegar, herbs, and onions for a wonderfully tangy bite.

It is believed that panzanella was invented out of necessity, as a means to utilize unwanted ingredients, such as stale bread. The salad was first described in the 1500s, in a poem by a famous artist and poet named Bronzino. The name of the dish comes from two words: pane, meaning bread, and zanella, meaning soup bowl.

It was adopted by Jewish immigrants to the Levant in the late 19th century, who found the locally grown Kirby cucumbers and tomatoes in popular local salad. It was popularized in the kibbutzim, where the Jewish farmers had local fresh produce at hand. The name Israeli Salad is used mainly outside of Israel.

Where did Israeli salad originate? ›

The History of Israeli Salad

While Israeli Salad is the well-known name for this dish, this recipe, like many other Middle Eastern recipes, originates from Palestine and Arab countries and is called vegetable salad. This includes hummus, falafel, etc.

Cherry tomatoes are small, round tomatoes that are perfect for snacking and salads. As their namesake suggests, they are about the same size and shape as a cherry. Most cherry tomatoes are red, but they do come in other colors like yellow and orange.

To serve as an appetizer, cut the loaf into bite-sized cubes, or cut into slices to serve as a side dish.

The bread can be eaten either dry or wet with water, wine, broth or a variety of sauces. It's perfect for brunch or as a nibble. We call it the Sardinian cracker for its crispy thin texture, that works really well on its own or paired with cheese and salami.

Most leafy vegetables that can be eaten raw are used: all varieties of lettuce, garden cress and watercress, endives, cabbage, spinach, escarole, romaine (cos), arugula, and fresh herbs. Other vegetables, raw or cooked—tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, beets, and so on—may garnish the green salad.

Bound salads are probably not the healthiest option in the land of salads, but they are so delicious! The reason they are a less-healthy option is that the binding agents are typically mayonnaise-based. Some of the most popular bound salads are egg and tuna.

Bound Salad

Bound salads are held together with a binding agent like mayonnaise or a thick dressing. They look a bit different than traditional composed or tossed salads, as vegetables aren't a requirement.