A colorful summer salad with peaches for added sweetness!
Summer salad for the win.
Panzanella is a traditional Tuscan salad with chunks of marinated stale bread, fruits (optional), and veggies. The dressing is a simple olive oil and vinegar with a few dried or fresh herbs. I like to take advantage of the fresh summer herbs, like basil and oregano.
So basically this salad is an excuse to throw all the miscellaneous fruits and veggies you have in the fridge into one big bowl. Coat the produce with the simple dressing, and you have a delicious summer side or appetizer. You could even throw in some prosciutto, fried egg, tuna, or salami for protein, and you have a whole meal!
I’ve never been to Tuscany in Italy, but feel like I would love the food. Mellow cheeses and beans as well as grilled meats are prominent characteristics of Tuscan food, and minus the meat, I think the food would definitely be to my liking.
Oh, and the bread…you can’t forget thick-crust Tuscan bread.
And that bread is a must for this salad. The best part is that it can be stale (in fact, it’s best when stale because then it’s like a crouton). A pretty good way to use old bread if I do say so myself. I found that ciabatta bread soaks up the flavors of the dressing and herbs really well.
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Tuscan Summer Peach and Mozzarella Panzanella Salad
Herb Dressing
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried or fresh oregano
- 1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
- ½ tsp dried or fresh parsley
- ½ tsp dried or fresh tarragon
Panzanella Salad
- 2 small ciabatta sandwich loaves, chopped into cubes ((I used whole wheat.))
- 2 ripe peaches, chopped into cubes
- 1-1/2 cups mini buffalo mozzarella
- 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped into cubes
- 2 small pickling cucumbers, chopped into cubes
- ½ avocado, sliced ((optional))
- fresh strawberries ((optional))
- fresh basil ((optional))
- In a small bowl or salad dressing jar, whisk together (or shake) all herb dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together cubed ciabatta, peaches, mozzarella, tomato, and cucumber. Drizzle over herb dressing, and mix well until all fruits and veggies are coated. Top salad with avocado slices, strawberries, and fresh basil. Enjoy!
