Panzanella
If you've got stale country bread, ripe tomatoes and cucumber, you're most of the way to this Italian side: about 60 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for whisk. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Tear or cut the stale bread into rough bite-sized chunks and, if very hard, sprinkle lightly with water so it softens but does not turn soggy.
- Core and chop the tomatoes into wedges over a bowl to catch the juices, then season them with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes to release more liquid.
- Peel and slice the cucumber into half-moons and thinly slice the red onion, soaking the onion in cold water for a few minutes to mellow its bite if you prefer.
- Whisk the vinegar with the olive oil, the grated garlic and a good pinch of salt and pepper to make the dressing.
- In a large bowl combine the bread, tomatoes and their juices, cucumber, onion and torn basil, then pour over the dressing and toss well.
- Let the salad rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes so the bread soaks up the tomato juices and dressing, toss again, and adjust the seasoning before serving.
You'll use: Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Red Wine
- beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar · grape juice + vinegar
What to serve with Panzanella
- Spaghetti Bolognese Beef
- Spicy Arrabiata Penne Vegetarian
- Vegan Lasagna Vegan
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Seafood
Tips & common questions
How long does Panzanella take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of red wine?
Try beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Panzanella vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Panzanella is an original Italian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Italian Panzanella.jpg by Heather Katsoulis, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.