Irresistible Spring Panzanella (Printable)

Vibrant Italian bread salad with crisp vegetables, herbs, and golden croutons. Ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 7 oz crusty sourdough or ciabatta, cut into 3/4 in cubes
02 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

→ Vegetables

03 - 9 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 6 radishes, thinly sliced
07 - 3.5 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
08 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

→ Herbs

09 - 1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
10 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
11 - 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

12 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
13 - 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
15 - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
16 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
17 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and spread on baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool.
02 - Combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, sugar snap peas, and spring onions in large salad bowl.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Add toasted bread cubes and fresh herbs to vegetables. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients.
05 - Let salad stand for 10 minutes to allow bread to absorb dressing and vegetable juices. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil if desired.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • Transforms that slightly neglected bread into something crave worthy and completely intentional
  • Captures the exact moment when spring vegetables are at their most eager and sweet
  • The waiting period means you can actually sip that wine while dinner finishes itself
02 -
  • The resting period is not optional, that is when the magic happens between crisp bread and juicy vegetables
  • Overly fresh bread will turn to mush, so ask your baker for yesterdays loaf or let it sit out overnight
  • Dress just before serving if you plan on leftovers, though this rarely survives long enough to become leftovers
03 -
  • Use the widest bowl you own when tossing so nothing gets crushed at the bottom
  • Taste a piece of bread and a vegetable together before adding more salt, they need to balance each other

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