Rustic Bread Salad with Tomatoes (Panzanella Recipe) | Montana Happy (2024)

Rustic Bread Salad with Tomatoes (Panzanella Recipe) is one of those recipes you dream about, especially in the summer. It’s a simple recipe that’s bursting with flavor. Crunchy bread with tomatoes and basil makes this a dish you can’t resist.

If you’re looking for more recipes that feature tomatoes, check out my Refrigerator Tomato Jam recipe or Creamy Tomato Soup.

Most of us aren’t gourmet chefs, and that’s okay. But we want to make food like we are a culinary genius.

The way to do this is to find the most straightforward recipes that will have everyone’s taste buds dancing. Simple, right?

How many restaurants have you been to and ordered something, and it wasn’t near as good as you expected? Lots of them, I’m betting.

Have most of the recipes you’ve tried been a disaster, and you were so disappointed because you spent so much money on the ingredients and the time wasted preparing them?

Don’t worry, this is not one of those dishes. Simple ingredients, that when mixed together, equals happy people. As a bonus, look how amazing it looks.

Yes, it’s a keeper. I think you’ll feel that way too.

Your salad will taste as good as your tomatoes, so make sure you get ripe, in-season tomatoes to wow everyone.

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Since you found this Rustic Bread Salad with Tomatoes recipe, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life that has over 61,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug. Join here to be part of the cozy cabin.

Here’s the Rustic Bread Salad with Tomatoes Recipe:

Ingredients for Rustic Bread Salad with Tomatoes

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, crushed by the side of your knife, but kept whole

4 cups baguette, torn into pieces

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

4 cups tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 small bunch fresh basil, stemmed

1 tablespoon capers

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

How to Make Bread Salad with Tomatoes

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil with medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and sauté for one to two minutes.
2. Place baguette pieces in the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Lower heat to medium and add red onion. Sauté for two more minutes.
4. Add two cups of the tomatoes (half of the tomatoes) and sauté for less than a minute. *Make sure you only sauté them for less than a minute, otherwise your bread will become soggy.
5. Remove tomato bread mixture from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Add remaining tomatoes, vinegar, capers, and toss to combine.
6. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
7. Serve immediately.

Tips on making this recipe

• When it says to sauté the tomatoes less than one minute, make sure you do that. The reason for that is if you cook them longer, the juices from the tomatoes go into the bread, and then you will have soggy bread. Nobody wants soggy bread!
• If you don’t like red onions, you can substitute a with a sweet onion like Walla Walla.
• You might want to double the bread salad recipe because you’ll want more. Much more.

I would love to give credit to where I got this recipe, but I have no idea. I cut it out of a magazine and I’m not sure where it originated. Whoever you are, it’s delicious!

We’ve reached the end of RusticBread Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes.

Let me know in the comments below if you tried the recipe and how you liked it.

Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life – Hygge Style Facebook group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

To refer back to this easy bread salad with tomatoes recipes, I created a pin for your salad board on Pinterest below.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed by the side of a knife, but kept whole
• 4 cups baguette, torn into pieces
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 4 cups tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 small bunch basil, stemmed
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil with medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and sauté for one to two minutes.
2. Place baguette pieces in the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Lower heat to medium and add red onion. Sauté for two more minutes.
4. Add two cups of the tomatoes (half of the tomatoes) and sauté for less than a minute. (Make sure its less than a minute - otherwise your bread will get soggy and you don't want that!)
5. Remove tomato bread mixture from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Add remaining tomatoes, vinegar, and capers. Toss to combine.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
7. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. You can substitute a sweet onion like Vidalia for the red onion.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 401Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 0mgSodium 463mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 7g