Best Peach Panzanella Salad for Summer
This peach panzanella salad is a spin on the classic Italian bread salad and features fresh peaches, tomatoes, basil, and toasty bread.
This summer we harvested over 30 pounds of fresh peaches from a tree on our property. We scrambled to come up with recipes to use them for fresh eating as well as preserving so nothing would go to waste. This peach panzanella salad is one of those recipes we came up with, and it did not disappoint! Honestly though, how could you really go wrong with bread salad?
This recipe uses only a handful of ingredients and is totally fool proof. It’s the perfect dish to bring to your next summer get-together. I promise, everyone will absolutely love it!
Why You’ll Love This Peach Panzanella Salad
Peak season freshness. Summer time is peak production time for tomatoes, basil and peaches. Simple ingredients really shine when they are at their freshest.
If you’re excited to make more seasonal recipes, be sure to try my Peach Upside Down Cake!
Only 10 ingredients (including the dressing). All you need to make this delicious bread salad are peaches, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, red onions, bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and of course salt and pepper.
Pops of Flavor. With each bite of this peach panzanella salad, you’ll enjoy deliciously complimentary flavors. The sweet, yet tart peaches pair perfectly with the creamy mozzarella, bright basil, and crisp red onions. Each bite is like a party in your mouth!
Super Simple. This recipe is so simple that even the most novice cook can make this peach panzanella salad! At the same time, its beautiful colors and gourmet flavors will wow all of your guests. It’s the perfect easy summer salad for al fresco dining, picnics, and any get together.
What is Panzanella?
Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that originated in Tuscany. It consists of stale bread, along with tomatoes and onions. Traditionally the bread is soaked with olive oil and vinegar (or some sort of vinegarette) to soften it. Occasionally this salad also includes basil, mozzarella, and/or cucumbers.
It is thought that panzanella was developed as just another creative way to use up dried stale bread. Whatever the reason, I’m glad someone thought of this, because it’s absolutely delicious!
While panzanella traditionally doesn’t contain peaches, they heighten flavor of the entire salad. They turn traditional panzanella into something unique and downright devine!
What You’ll Need to Make this Dish
Equipment:
- Good knife
- Baking Sheet
- Large salad bowl
- Collander
- Whisk
Ingredients:
- Salad
- 4 cups (about ½ loaf) of day-old ciabatta sourdough cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 peaches peeled and sliced into wedges
- 1 lb tomatoes – heirloom tomatoes are my favorite, but cherry or grape tomatoes work great too
- 1 cup pearl mozzarella
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil sliced into thin ribbons
- Dressing
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 1 T honey
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make Peach Panzanella Salad
- Slice your bread into one-inch cubes and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes until toasted and crisp.
- Meanwhile, pit and slice your peaches into wedges. Chop your tomatoes into one-inch pieces. Transfer the peaches and tomatoes to a colander fitted over a bowl to allow the juices to drip out.
- In a small bowl, add your Dijon mustard, honey, and balsamic vinegar and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to incorporate it into the balsamic mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, peaches, red onion, mozzarella, and sliced basil.
- Add the toasted bread cubes to the large bowl, then drizzle with vinaigrette, tossing to coat.
- Allow the panzanella salad to rest for 30 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally if you can. Season with salt and pepper and a little bit more fresh basil before serving.
Tips for a Great Peach Panzanella Salad
Use the best-quality ingredients you can find and afford.
When making such a simple dish as this one, the quality of the ingredients is key. That’s why I consider this a great “seasonal eating” dish. With modern growing practices, all of these ingredients are available year round, but you’ll find the best quality and flavor when you make this in the summer when everything is in season.
Also, pick a freshly baked bread that you’d enjoy eating. A ciabatta, sourdough, French, or Italian country bread all work well. If you want to make your own bread, my artisan sourdough loaf is a great option.
Dry out your bread in the oven or use stale bread.
Panzanella is traditionally made with stale bread, but I prefer to toast day old bread in the oven. I find that the texture is better when I toast it. The outside of the bread crisps up, but the inside remains soft and tender. It’s also more convenient, as you don’t have to time making your salad with having a loaf of stale bread.
Never use untoasted or bread that is not stale because when you add your vinegarette, it will become mushy.
Rest the panzanella salad for at least 30 minutes.
Allowing the salad to rest for at least 30 minutes is crucial to getting the perfect texture. If you eat it right away, the toasted bread will be way too crunchy, as it won’t have absorbed the vinaigrette. You can also let the salad rest for a few hours, if needed.
Related Posts
Peach Panzanella Salad
Equipment
- Good knife
- Baking Sheet
- Large salad bowl
- Collander
- Whisk
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups about ½ loaf of day-old ciabatta sourdough cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 peaches peeled and sliced into wedges
- 1 lb tomatoes – heirloom tomatoes are my favorite but cherry or grape tomatoes work great too
- 1 cup pearl mozzarella
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil sliced into thin ribbons
Dressing
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 1 T honey
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice your bread into one-inch cubes and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes until toasted and crisp.
- Meanwhile, pit and slice your peaches into wedges. Chop your tomatoes into one-inch pieces. Transfer the peaches and tomatoes to a colander fitted over a bowl to allow the juices to drip out.
- In a small bowl, add your Dijon mustard, honey, and balsamic vinegar and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to incorporate it into the balsamic mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, peaches, red onion, mozzarella, and sliced basil.
- Add the toasted bread cubes to the large bowl, then drizzle with vinaigrette, tossing to coat.
- Allow the panzanella salad to rest for 30 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally if you can. Season with salt and pepper and a little bit more fresh basil before serving.
