Italian Bread Salad is naturally vegan, and is a refreshingly, tasty budget-friendly salad that is easily adapted to whatever you have in your pantry. Stale or a few days old bread is perfect for using up to create this easy bread salad which is also known as Poor Mans Salad!This recipe can be prepared with either toasting the bread cubes or not toasting the bread, both ways are equally delicious.
Baking tray [optional] with parchment paper [baking paper] to line tray if necessary
Large salad bowl or similar
Small mixing bowls
Ingredients
Bread chunks:
300gramscrusty breadany variety, use gluten-free if required [sliced or torn into bite-sized chunks]
2tablespoonsred wine vinegar[or balsamic vinegar]
Quick pickled red onion:
100gramssliced red onion[sliced into thin strips, 1 medium onion]
1tablespoonred wine vinegar[or balsamic vinegar]
2teaspoonssugar[granulated or your usual sugar or syrup such as maple, agave, rice, date]
Salad:
200gramscucumber[sliced into thick bite-size chunks]
150gramstomatoes[if using cherry tomatoes half them or if larger tomatoes slice into bite-size chunks]
150gramslettuce[any variety, sliced if large leaves, baby leaves can be left whole]
Salad dressing:
4tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoonred wine vinegar[or balsamic vinegar]
2teaspoonssugar
Optional:
olives[use whatever amount you prefer]
1bunchfresh basil[use however much basil you prefer]
Instructions
Toasting the bread: [optional, can simply use the bread untoasted]
Preheat the oven to 180 Fan, 200C, 392 Fahrenheit, Gas 6.
Slice or rip the bread into bitesize pieces and add to a bowl. Sprinkle the red wine vinegar over the bread and toss the bread around to coat in the vinegar. If you don't mind using your hands, then stir the bread cubes around and against the sides with your hands so that they soak up all the vinegar.
300 grams crusty bread, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Place the bread cubes onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper if necessary, and bake on the middle oven shelf for 5 minutes. Turn the bread around and toast for a further 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Prepare the quick pickled red onion:
Add the thin slices of onion to a small bowl and add the red wine vinegar and sugar. Give the onions a good mix so that they are all equally coated in the mixture. Set aside to pickle while the rest of the salad is prepared.
100 grams sliced red onion, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar
Prepare the easy salad dressing:
Add the red wine vinegar, sugar, and olive oil to a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Stir well.
Add the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber to a large salad bowl. Next add the bread pieces, and olives if using.Add most of the basil leaves and the pickled red onion keeping some of them back to sprinkle over the top. Season with enough salt and pepper to bring all the flavours together, the exact amount is personal preference as some people may not like any salt or pepper.Drizzle over the salad dressing and give everything a good mix so that all the dressing, salad and bread are completely combined.
Sprinkle over the remaining basil leaves and pickled red onions and now the Panzanella is good to go. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
For 6 smaller portions the estimated nutritional value is: 261Kcal, 32g Carbs, 7g protein, 12g fat, 3mg iron, 694 IU Vitamin A, 53mg Calcium and 3g fibre.
Increase the fibre content by using wholemeal or whole wheat bread.
Store leftovers for 1-2 days, Panzanella is at its freshest once made and the bread will soak up the dressing and become softer as it sits, but those soggy bits are actually very tasty.
If meal prepping the salad in advance, store all the components separately before combining together when ready to serve.
Stale bread is perfect for using up in this tasty bread salad, but of course fresh bread will work just as well.
French baguettes are particularly tasty for a Panzanella salad.
Toasting the bread is an optional step and can be omitted.
For a gluten-free bread salad choose a gluten-free bread.
Olives are optional and can be simply omitted or replaced with a few broken walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, capers, more tomatoes, or even some juicy grapes.
On an oil-free diet? Replace the oil with a light tahini. If your tahini is really thick, whip it with a fork to loosen it up.
Do check out our recipe notes and FAQ section above the recipe for more substitution ideas, as well as an easy method for using the air-fryer to toast bread cubes, and for other helpful information.