How To Make Tuscan Bread Salad (Panzanella)
Here’s a fantastic recipe for how to make Tuscan Bread Salad (Panzanella) by Italian Chef Chicca Maione. She can even teach you the art of making this amazing starter in person through her cooking classes (If you are looking for a great vacation).
Panzanella is a Tuscan summer bread salad: peasant food, and a way of making stale bread palatable when there was little else to go with it. It’s an extremely popular antipasto/first course at Simone Ciattini’s La Baracchina, a trattoria in the hills just south of Florence.
Simone notes that, like many other bread-based dishes such as ribollita or pappa al pomodoro, panzanella has become considerably richer since the end of World War II because people can now afford to add more of the other ingredients that support the bread. Considering that the other ingredients are tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, this does make one think. So what do you need for Panzanella?
Prep Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 400°F.
Chop the bread into little cubes and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. If your bread is too soft it will turn into a paste so make sure it is crunchy when after it is toasted!
Chop the onions very finely and put them in a bowl with ½ of the vinegar, ½ of the olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and set aside for 15 minutes until onions are softened.
In a large bowl, mix the bread with the onions and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and the vinegar. Set aside at room temperature until the bread softens but is not mushy, about 30-40 minutes depending on the consistency of your bread.
Note: If bread is too crunchy you can add more vinegar.
Add the tomato cubes, season with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and a little bit more balsamic vinegar. Add basil in abundance. Now it is ready to serve!
Note: If you like you can add other vegetables such as cucumbers, green olives, carrots, or raw bell peppers, you can even add tuna fish!
The best way to remember to make it is to plan for it. Learn about meal prep through our article Meal Prep 101, by dietician Shannon Costello.
Need the ingredients list on hand? Simply pull up the article on your phone (it’s mobile compatible) or click here to print it out.
Chicca’s here to help. If you need assistance with the recipe, email her at chicca@cookingintuscany.cc
Feeling adventurous? Take a trip over to Italy and take the class, led by Chicca, on how to make this starter (as well as many other amazing dishes)!
Feeling really adventurous? Enjoy a week of classes and an authentic experience of life in Tuscany, Italy, through her all-inclusive Cooking Vacation.
Italian Chef
Chicca is a Tuscan-based architect and passionate chef of home-cooked food. After many years of cooking for family and friends, she found her calling: teaching people how to cook authentic homemade food while sharing recipes and stories about her incredible culture. She has spread the traditional-Italian and typical-Tuscan cuisine in Italy and abroad for the past 19 years.
Full Bio
Add to Favorites Life Coach Stacey O’Callaghan shares the 6 key skills to learn in your 20s that will set you up for a successful future.
Trying to save money by buying in bulk and storing food? Use these tips on how to store food long-term to save money and eat well.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “life is a journey, not a destination?” It’s not just a cliché, it’s a great guiding philosophy.
Your free self-improvement perks and community features are waiting!
