Panzanella Salad

By Rex Marketing & CX Team

`Panzanella salad illustration with tomatoes, greens, and bread — artisanal salad art`

Why This Grilled Panzanella Recipe Works Best

Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread and tomato salad born from the Mediterranean tradition of salvaging stale bread. While classic versions rely on soaking old bread in water, our version uses grilled ciabatta to add a smoky crunch and a liquid-rich dressing of Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar, opens in a new tab and 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab. This combination ensures the bread absorbs the savory heirloom tomato juices while maintaining a satisfying texture, making it the perfect side dish for summer.

Panzanella is the ultimate "no-waste" gourmet meal. Originally a humble dish from the countryside of Italy, it has evolved into a vibrant celebration of summer produce. This recipe elevates the traditional concept by focusing on high-quality acidity and charred textures.

The Secret to the Perfect Soak

The biggest mistake in Panzanella is soggy, flavorless bread. By using a "dry mix" salt technique on the tomatoes and macerating the onions in craft vinegar, we create a flavorful "jus." This liquid—not just plain water—is what the bread absorbs, ensuring every bite is packed with umami.

Ingredients That Matter

  • Heirloom Tomatoes: A mix of colors provides visual appeal and a complex balance of sweetness and acidity.
  • Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar: The bold, wine-forward profile provides the essential bite needed to cut through the olive oil.
  • Grilled Ciabatta: Grilling adds dark char lines that introduce a layer of bitterness and smoke to complement the sweet tomatoes.

Steps for the Perfect Panzanella

  • The 10-Minute Tomato Salt: Toss your 2lbs of heirloom tomatoes with salt, garlic, and oregano first. Let them sit for 10 minutes. This causes the tomatoes to release their natural juices, which serve as the foundation for your dressing.
  • Macerate the Onions: Soak thinly sliced red onions in your Red Wine and Apple Cider Vinegar mixture. This pickles the onions slightly, removing their raw "sting" and sweetening the vinegar.
  • The Bread Technique: Brush thick ciabatta slices with California Organic Olive Oil and grill until marked. Hand-tearing the bread after grilling creates more surface area to trap the dressing compared to perfect cubes.
  • Table-Side Assembly: To maintain the perfect texture, place the grilled bread in bowls and spoon the tomato mixture over it just before eating. This keeps the bread slightly crusty while the center becomes tender.

 

FAQs About Panzanella Salad

Should I use stale bread or fresh bread for Panzanella?

While tradition calls for stale bread, our recipe recommends fresh ciabatta that has been grilled. Grilling creates a sturdy crust that stands up to the dressing better than naturally stale bread, which can sometimes become "mushy" rather than "chewy."

What is the best substitute for garlic in this recipe?

If you aren't a fan of raw garlic, substitute it with a teaspoon of sharp Dijon mustard. It provides a similar depth and helps emulsify the tomato juices and olive oil.

Can I add protein to make this a main course?

Yes. Grilled shrimp, flank steak, or even chickpeas pair beautifully with the acidic profile of the vinegar-soaked bread.

 

Which vinegar to use, and why

Stale bread soaks up whatever you pour on it, so the vinegar has to be worth soaking up. Red wine vinegar is the traditional choice. We use Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Assemble thirty minutes before eating so the bread softens but does not turn to paste.

What to cook next

Try Heirloom Tomato Salad, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

Related products

Red Wine Vinegar front bottle view — craft wine vinegar

Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar

Prices: From $13.00

- go to product ultimate red wine vinegar
19.53 Miles From The Tree Apple Cider Vinegar front view — raw ACV

19.53 Miles From The Tree Apple Cider Vinegar

Prices: From $13.00

- go to product 19 53 miles from the tree apple cider vinegar

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Panzanella Salad

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4 People

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

5 minutes

Cuisine

Italian

Category

Side

Panzanella is a classic Italian bread and tomato salad born from the Mediterranean tradition of salvaging stale bread. This refreshing version features a few modern tweaks to enhance the natural flavors of heirloom tomatoes and grilled ciabatta. It’s an ideal dish for hot summer months, relying on a punchy blend of Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar and 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar to create a liquid-rich dressing that perfectly soaks into the bread.

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

  • 2lbs of heirloom tomatoes (mixed colors and firm)

  • 1 teaspoon salt 

  • 1 garlic clove very finely grated

  • ½  of a small red onion

  • 4 tablespoons of Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar (Rose or Chardonnay as alternate) 

  • 1 tablespoon of 19.53 ACV (or other Sweet & Tangy line vinegar)

  • 1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

  • 6 Kalamata olives, sliced

  • 1/3 cup of feta, crumbled

  • 1 English cucumber

  • 1/3 cup California Olive Oil, more for bread

  • 4 thick slices of ciabatta or baguette (fresh, not stale)

Directions

  1. Cut tomatoes into largish 1-inch chunks.  Think the size of those melon or cantaloup pieces you see at hotel breakfast bars.  In a large bowl mix the salt, tomatoes, very finely grated garlic, and oregano.  You want to let this ‘dry’ mix stand for about 10 minutes.  This will let the flavor penetrate into your tomatoes and it will also cause the tomatoes to release some of their water which you will want to soak the bread.

  2. While the tomatoes sit, very thinly slice half a small red onion. Cut those slices into half-moons.  Put onions in a small bowl and add the red wine and sweet ACV.  Let the onions soak.

  3. Cut 4 thick slices of bread and brush with olive oil.  Grill the bread until black grill marks form.  If you don’t have access to a grill or are getting summer showers you can also just use a grill pan.  If at all possible, you should aim for some sort of grilling for the bread however since those dark lines add a nice flavor to the salad.  Set bread slices aside to cool.  Once cool cut or hand rip the slices into 1-inch cubes. 

  4. Partially peel your cucumber by taking 4 skin strips off.  Cut your cucumber in half the long way.  Cut each cucumber half into half-moons about ¼ inch thick.  Add cucumbers to tomatoes.

  5. Slice olives and add to tomatoes.  Go for flavorful Kalamata or other black olives.  

  6. Crumble feta and add to tomatoes. Try to use feta that has been soaking/sold in brine if available.

  7. Add your onions and the soaking vinegar to your tomatoes. Add olive oil. Gently mix. 

  8. Feel free to adjust salt and acid to taste but be mindful that your feta and olives will add their own salt and brine in each of your bites so the liquid itself does not need to be overly salted. 

  9. I like assembling and serving this salad at the table.  If you have guests, transfer the tomato salad from the bowl to a serving tray for a better presentation.  

  10. Place a handful of the grilled bread cubes in a shallow soup plate/bowl for each guest. 

  11. Spoon your tomato and cucumber salad over the bread in each plate.  As you remove your salad you will then have access to the liquid under. Add several spoons of the salad liquid/dressing over each plate. You do want a more liquidy serving than you would with a standard vinaigrette salad dressing. Assembling the bread with the salad at the table is not only a nice serving experience but also soaks the bread while still keeping it slightly crusty. 
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