Classic Panzanella w Stale Bread or DIY Croutons
Classic Panzanella (Tomato–Cucumber–Basil) — with Stale Bread or DIY Croutons
This is the classic bread salad: tomatoes make the “dressing,” the bread soaks it up, the basil perfumes everything. Use truly day-old bread (or quick-dry your own) so it softens without turning mushy.
Yield: 4 servings Active: ~20–25 min Best eaten fresh
Ingredients
- 4 cups (≈200 g) day-old country bread, 1-inch cubes (or quality croutons)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for DIY croutons; optional)
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, large dice + all their juices
- 1 cucumber, medium dice
- 5 shishito peppers, sliced on a bias (or 1 small bell pepper), optional
- 2 oz green olives, pitted & roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
- 1 shallot, very thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 ear corn, kernels cut from cob, optional (see note)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to toss
- Kosher salt & black pepper
Method
- Quick pickle: Stir shallot with vinegar; let sit while you prep.
- Dry the bread: If it isn’t stale, toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil and toast at 350°F for 8–10 min until edges are dry but centers still springy.
- Optional veggies: Briefly sauté corn (2–3 min) and/or blister shishitos (1–2 min). Cool.
- Tomato base: In a big bowl combine tomatoes + their juices, salt, and pepper. Wait 3 minutes to draw more juice.
- Hydrate: Add bread, the shallot + its vinegar, and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Toss well and rest 5–10 minutes to soak.
- Finish: Fold in cucumber, olives, basil, and optional corn/peppers. Adjust seasoning; serve right away.
Bread should be pleasantly saturated, not soggy. If things look dry, add a splash more vinegar and a drizzle of oil.
Mediterranean Diet Points (per serving, approx.)
- Vegetables: ~½ point (cucumber, peppers, shallot, basil; corn if using counts as starchy veg).
- Fruit: ~½ point (tomatoes + olives).
- Grains:
- Whole-grain bread: ≈ 1 point (this recipe yields ~1.8–2.0 oz bread per serving).
- Refined bread/croutons: 0 points.
Nutrition (estimates)
Based on 4 servings. “Base salad” uses tomatoes, cucumber, olives, basil, shallot, 2 Tbsp vinegar, and 1 Tbsp olive oil (plus optional veg oils omitted). Bread adds calories/carbs; DIY croutons add a bit more fat.
| Per serving (¼ recipe) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber | Sodium* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base salad (no bread) | ~230 kcal | ~3 g | ~14 g | ~19 g | ~3 g | variable (olives + salt) |
| + 4 cups stale bread (≈200 g), no extra oil | ~363 kcal | ~7.5 g | ~40.5 g | ~19.8 g | ~4.5 g | variable |
| + 4 cups bread & DIY crouton oil (+1 Tbsp EVOO) | ~393 kcal | ~7.5 g | ~40.5 g | ~23.3 g | ~4.5 g | variable |
*Olives and added salt drive sodium. To lighten calories, reduce total oil or use part whole-grain, part beans (e.g., a handful of chickpeas) for extra fiber/protein.