An easy way to use up a loaf of old bread, this Roasted Vegetable Panzanella salad is a perfect, easy salad to add to any Summer menu. This recipe is a staple in my family during the Spring and Summer. It's easy to put together and so versatile.
What's in This Panzanella?
Panzanella is a hearty Italian bread salad that uses day old bread and usually tomatoes and onions are added to the bread and then it is soaked in a vinegary dressing. There are so many different versions now, and this is the one that my family eats the most!
Bread- For this recipe, I used a loaf of sourdough bread that was sitting around and starting to get hard. You could use an Italian bread or a French baguette as well. Stay away from grocery store sliced bread as that tends to get too soggy and just falls apart.
Tomatoes- Traditionally, you would use tomatoes that are at the end of their life. You know the ones that are starting to get a little mushy and don't look great. They tend to be the sweetest and if you have those, feel free to use them. I used cherry tomatoes because I am a big fan of cherry tomatoes and they are easy to chop and eat. Large tomatoes would be great here instead of cherry tomatoes. In the summer, this is a great use of any homegrown tomatoes you might have on hand.
Parmesan- For this recipe, we are using shaved parmesan. I love the bite of sharpness that the parmesan gives, but if you wanted to add mozzarella instead you definitely could. Even provolone would be great here.
Vegetables- For the roasted vegetable part of this salad, I used red peppers, yellow squash, and green squash. You could use onions as well and roast those, or you could add eggplant. It's really open to interpretation and what you have on hand.
How to Make this Recipe
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the yellow and green squash and the red pepper into bite sized pieces and spray with olive oil. Place them on a sheet pan, season lightly with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, cut the bread into one inch cubes and place it in a bowl. Coat with one tablespoon of olive oil, granulated garlic, and salt and pepper. Place in the oven with the vegetables.
Keep an eye on the bread, as it will only take about 10 minutes to brown up and toast. The bread will go from perfectly brown to burnt in just a few seconds. Take out the bread when it is done and place it into a large bowl. When the vegetables are done, allow them to cool on the sheet pan for about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, olive oil, and vinegar. Whisk well to combine and season with salt and pepper. Set that aside. You might think that ½ cup of olive oil is a lot, but this salad is large and the bread soaks up the dressing almost immediately. You don't want to have a dry salad, so it's better to overdress it a little. The Dijon mustard acts as an emulsifier in this dressing, meaning it thickens it up. It also gives the dressing a great tangy flavor. You could use this vinaigrette for any salad. It's delicious!
Chop the tomatoes and shred the basil. Place that in the same bowl as the bread. Add the beans and the semi-cooled vegetables. Top with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Top with the shredded parmesan and serve immediately. This salad can be served at room temperature or you can place it in the refrigerator and allow it to chill before serving.
Questions About this Recipe?
I wouldn't make this recipe more than a day ahead of time. The bread will get really soggy as it sits and you want the bread to still have a little chew to it, and not just fall apart. You can serve this bread cold or at room temperature. Both would be equally as delicious.
This would be perfect at a barbecue or a Spring brunch. Serve it as a side for grilled chicken or a piece of salmon. It's a perfect picnic item because it travels really well.
Instead of roasting the vegetables, grilling them would be awesome too! Slice the vegetables lengthwise and place them on the grill. When they are done and cooled, chop them and put them in the salad. That would make it even more Summer friendly! Instead of beans, you could grill up some chicken and add that directly into the salad.
Other Recipes to Try!
Did you give this Roasted Vegetable Panzanella recipe try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and let me know (@Lynnswayoflife) !
- Spring Pea Risotto
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with Tortilla Crust
- Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini
Roasted Vegetable Panzanella
Ingredients
- 1 Zucchini Medium
- 1 Yellow Squash Medium
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Loaf of day old bread
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes Chopped
- ½ Cup Cannellini Beans
- ½ Cup Parmesan Shredded
- ¼ Cup Fresh Basil Shredded
- 2 tsp Garlic Granulated
- 2 TB Olive Oil
For the Vinaigrette
- ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut both types of squash and the red pepper into bite sized pieces. Place them on a baking sheet and spray them with cooking oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned and cooked.
- While the vegetables roast, cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and place them in a bowl. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, granulated garlic, and salt to the bowl with the bread. Toss to combine. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven with the vegetables for 10 minutes. Keep a close eye they do not burn.
- When the bread is toasted and lightly browned, place it in a large bowl.
- Take the vegetables out of the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, make the vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Stir the vinaigrette well until everything is well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In the bowl with the bread in it, add the chopped tomatoes, beans, and roasted vegetables. Add the basil and vinaigrette and toss to combine. Top with the parmesan cheese and serve immediately or let it sit in the refrigerator and chill before serving. Enjoy!
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