This vegan tomato panzanella salad is made from a base of crusty sourdough or ciabatta bread, a mix of fresh diced tomatoes, red wine vinaigrette, fresh basil and an ideal amount of seasoning.
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Why you will love this recipe
With fresh tomatoes, basil, crunchy ciabatta and plenty of seasonings, this vegan tomato Panzanella salad is made in the traditional style with customary ingredients (minus the anchovies). It is a perfect recipe to enjoy the fresh flavours of all those beautiful garden and market tomatoes. Fresh toasted ciabatta bread is ideal for this recipe and helps to absorb oodles of flavour from the dressing.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients including quantities and proportion can be found in the recipe card below. For this recipe, you will need:
- A variety of fresh tomatoes (you can use large and cherry varieties and I share notes below on why heirloom tomatoes work particularly well for this recipe).
- Ciabatta or sourdough bread
- Sea salt
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Fresh basil leaves
Substitutions and Variations
- Add ½ cup of fresh corn kernels
- Diced red pepper (about ½ cup) adds flavour and crunch to this recipe
- Top with a few tablespoons of homemade vegan almond parmesan
- Add ½ cup of diced, or shaved cucumbers
- If you don't have red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar will also work equal measure.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: make sure you wash all the produce well. Chop the tomatoes into bit sized pieces (remove the stem ends) and add them to a large bowl. Then, sprinkle with sea salt and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
STEP 2: Meanwhile, toast the bread slices and then tear into small pieces.
STEP 3: Next, gently strain the tomatoes and reserve the juice (the juice is part of the dressing). Then, add the tomatoes to a large bowl.
STEP 4: In another large bowl, whisk together the, tomato juice, shallot, garlic, dijon, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Then, add the toasted bread cubes and chopped tomatoes to the dressing mixture.
STEP 5: Toss is all together, season with fresh cracked pepper and chopped basil and serve.
Helpful Tips
- Use any tomato variety you like - Just make sure the ones you select are ripe, fresh and blemish free.
- A variety of tomato sizes adds texture, flavour and appealing array of colours.
- Reserve the tomato juices-These are used to form part of the dressing.
- Finely dice the shallot-This is what really set the dressing apart from other panzanella variations—it adds a nice bit of heat and tastes better than biting into larger pieces of onion which end up overpowering the salad.
- Toast the bread in a toaster - this keeps it easy and means you don't need to turn on the oven in the heat of summer. If you prefer to toast the bread in the oven, directions can be found in the recipe notes.
- You can also toast the cubed bread in a large skillet with a small amount of olive oil over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Use any bread you like, however, ciabatta or sourdough bring the best flavour to this recipe.
Storage
Panzanella will last covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, however, the bread will have absorbed all the vinaigrette and will be quite soft. This salad is best served and eaten ASAP in the same day.
FAQs
Panzanella [noun] Italian 'Pane' meaning bread & 'zanella' meaning 'small basket'. Traditional Panzanella, originating from Italy, is essentially a bread salad originally made from leftovers. Classic recipes use anchovies, a mix of fresh chopped tomatoes, basil and crunchy (stale) bread cubes to soak up a gorgeous red wine vinaigrette.
Any tomato variety will work for this recipe, however, I highly recommend sourcing heritage or heirloom varieties. Heirloom tomatoes, in particular, can be so unbelievably juicy and sweet.
Moreover, there are hundreds of tomato species, however, society is only custom to roughly 22 as a result of modern agriculture. An eye-opening book I read many years ago, The End of Food by Thomas Pawlick, sparked my initial interest in preserving heirlooms and organic fruits and vegetables.
If you've been following me on Instagram, you know tomatoes take up alot of our backyard growing space. While they are worth the extra effort, heirlooms are more susceptible to disease various pother problems and as a result of less hybridization over the years. Regardless, I love ending the season with a varied bonanza of several heritage varieties.
Purple, yellow, orange, green, speckled, striped and ombre, all with charming names like 'Dwarf Emerald', 'Ferris Wheel' and 'Rosella'. They're beautiful and strange to look at with their oblong, rippled shapes. So, if you can, source heirlooms for this recipe; they are usually available at local farmers markets from small scale growers.
More Salad Recipes
If you love my simple vegan tomato panzanella salad, you may also enjoy these favourites.
Roast potato salad with dijon dressing
Crunchy kale slaw with balsamic tahini dressing and almond Parmesan
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Vegan Tomato Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, or your favourite variety
- 6-8 slices of ciabatta sourdough bread, about 4 cups cubed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
vinaigrette
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes into bit sized pieces (remove the stem tops) and add them to a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sea salt, toss to combine and let tomatoes sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread slices (I use a toaster) then allow them to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, tear the bread into small 1" pieces. Set aside. See notes for toasting the bread in an oven or skillet.
- After the elapsed time, gently strain the liquid from the salted tomatoes into a measuring cup (you need the juice for the dressing). Then, add the tomatoes to a bowl. Set aside.
- In the serving bowl, whisk together the tomato liquid, diced shallot, diced garlic, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil.
- To the serving bowl with the dressing, add the chopped tomatoes, basil and toasted bread cubes then toss well to combine. Season with fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Disclaimer
all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.
This is one of my favourite salads...great recipe, love!
Thank you, sweetheart 😉
I enjoy the pictures of your food, soo much!!
This year, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia, my tomatoes did not do well.
I can give you many reasons, but, I prefer to embed your pictures in my thoughts. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Lorraine! It means a lot to me. Some years we have little luck with tomatoes, even with the best care we lose some to disease or pests. But such is the nature of gardening, as disappointing as it can be sometimes. I hope you are having a wonderful, August, Lorraine!
I love panzanella salad! Your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Karly!! I'm glad you like them 🙂