Panzanella Salad (Italian Ciabatta Bread Salad)

Quick answer

Total time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Stale ciabatta is torn into rough chunks, drizzled with olive oil, and toasted in the oven until the exterior is crisp while the interior remains slightly chewy.

Ripe tomatoes are cut into large pieces and salted briefly to draw out their juice, and that released liquid soaks into the bread and becomes the sweet-tart flavor that defines the dish. Cucumber and red onion add crunch and pungency, while torn basil leaves release their fragrance across the plate. A vinaigrette of red wine vinegar and good olive oil binds everything together. The salad reaches its best point after resting fifteen to twenty minutes, once the bread has absorbed enough dressing and tomato juice to soften slightly without going completely soggy, a balance that is the defining characteristic of a well-made panzanella. Using genuinely stale bread matters here: fresh bread soaks through too quickly and disintegrates, while properly dried ciabatta holds its structure and provides a textural contrast with the juicy tomatoes and crisp vegetables. Panzanella originated as a practical summer dish in Tuscany, where leftover bread was too valuable to discard, and it remains most rewarding when made with ripe summer tomatoes at the peak of the season.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

ciabatta bread180 gg

tomato250 gg

cucumber120 gg

red onion50 gg

basil10 gg

extra virgin olive oil3 tbsptbsp

red wine vinegar1½ tbsptbsp

salt½ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Tear the 180 g stale ciabatta into rough 2 cm chunks, then coat it evenly with part of the extra virgin olive oil so the edges can crisp without drying out too hard.
2

Step

Spread the bread in a single layer and toast for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pull it out when the edges are golden and crisp but the centers still feel slightly chewy, then let it cool so it holds its shape.
3

Season

Cut the 250 g tomatoes into generous bite-size pieces and sprinkle with part of the 0.5 tsp salt.

Let them stand for about 10 minutes, keeping every bit of released juice because it will season and soften the bread.
4

Prep

Cut the 120 g cucumber into bite-size pieces and slice the 50 g red onion very thinly.

Tear the 10 g basil by hand just before mixing so it releases aroma without bruising too much.
5

Season

In a large bowl, whisk the 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar with the remaining olive oil, remaining salt, and tomato juices.

Whisk until the oil breaks into small droplets so the dressing coats the vegetables evenly.
6

Finish

Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and basil with the dressing first, then fold in the toasted bread gently.

Rest for 15 to 20 minutes and serve while the bread is seasoned and slightly softened, not fully soggy.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Panzanella Salad uses toasted ciabatta chunks to soak up juices from salted, ripe tomatoes.
Finish cue: Whisk until the oil breaks into small droplets so the dressing coats the vegetables evenly.
Avoid this: Serve before the bread becomes fully soggy for the best texture.