This panzanella salad will be the star at your next BBQ! It features perfectly ripe tomatoes, nectarines, crunchy croutons, fresh mozzarella and a homemade dressing.
What’s a Panzanella Salad?
It’s a classic Tuscan bread salad with fresh tomatoes and homemade dressing, that’s normally served during the summer. Here’s my version of a panzanella salad with nectarines and fresh mozzarella (it’s so good).
Homemade Croutons for Panzanella Salad
It’s so easy to make homemade croutons and it’s way much better than storebought!
- First, cut the bread into ¾ inch wight cubes
- Toss with olive oil and season well
- Place on a baking pan and roast for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through
I love to use ciabatta bread or sourdough, but you can use any type of bread you like.
How to Prepare the Salad Ahead of Time?
Make sure you add the dressing when you’re ready to serve. Here are the steps you can prep in advance:
- Prepare the pickled onions a few hours before, or even the night before
- Roast the bread to make homemade croutons
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a mason jar
- Cut the fruits and veggies so it will be ready to use
Conservation
This salad is best enjoyed on the same day. Since we’re making homemade croutons, they will soften with the dressing if you let it sit for a couple of hours. Crunchy croutons bring such a nice crunch to the salad! That’s why I recommend keeping the dressing as well as the croutons separate from the other ingredients.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the nectarines for fresh peaches
- Use bocconcini cheese instead of fresh mozzarella
- Utilize the bread you have on hand to make the croutons
Panzanella Salad with Nectarines and Fresh Mozzarella
4
servings20
minutes10
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minutesThis salad will be the star at your next BBQ! It features perfectly ripe tomatoes, nectarines, crunchy croutons, fresh mozzarella and a homemade dressing.
Ingredients
- Pickled Onions
¼ of a red onion, finely sliced (or half of a small onion)
¼ cup of Maison Orphée’s Organic White Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp of honey
- Homemade croutons
2 ½ cups of bread cut into ¾ inch cubes (ciabatta bread or sourdough bread)
2 tbsp of Maison Orphée’s Basil Olive Oil
- Dressing
¼ cup of Maison Orphée’s Basil Olive Oil
1 tbsp of honey
1 garlic clove, minced
- Salad
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 lebanese cucumbers, sliced
2 nectarines, sliced
+/- 20 fresh basil leaves
100g-125g of fresh mozzarella cheese*
Instructions
- Prepare the pickled onions. To a small bowl, add the sliced onion with the white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Add ¼ cup of boiling water and honey. Mix well. Let it sit while you prepare the salad. This step can be made in advance (a couple hours before or the night before).
- Prepare the homemade croutons. Preheat the oven to 400F and place the grill in the middle. On a baking pan, mix the bread cubes with the basil olive oil and ½ tsp of salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Prepare the dressing. Add all the ingredients to a mason jar and shake well to combine. Season well.
- In a big bowl, add the tomatoes, the cucumbers, the nectarines, the homemade croutons, and the fresh basil leaves. Remove the onions from the liquid and add them to the salad. Add the dressing and mix well.
- Serve the salad with pieces of fresh mozzarella on top. Sprinkle with some sea salt and pepper.
Notes
- For the croutons, I recommend ciabatta bread or sourdough bread.
- You can swap fresh mozzarella for bocconcini cheese if you prefer.
- Make sure you add the dressing when you’re ready to serve the salad.
