Sourdough Panzanella Salad Heirloom (Printable)

Crunchy sourdough cubes combined with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, and basil vinaigrette for a fresh summer dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 8.8 oz day-old sourdough bread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
02 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
03 - ½ teaspoon sea salt

→ Vegetables

04 - 17.6 oz assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges or bite-sized pieces
05 - 1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
06 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small garlic clove, minced

→ Basil Vinaigrette

08 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
09 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - ½ teaspoon honey
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - ½ cup fresh mozzarella or burrata, torn (optional)
15 - Extra basil leaves for finishing

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - Toss sourdough cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Spread on baking sheet and toast for 10–15 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
03 - In a blender or food processor, combine basil, ¼ cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion. Add cooled toasted sourdough cubes and gently toss together.
05 - Drizzle basil vinaigrette over salad mixture and toss gently to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld and bread to absorb dressing.
06 - Transfer salad to serving platter. Top with torn mozzarella or burrata and extra fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sourdough gets crispy-edged and chewy-centered, soaking up the dressing like it was designed for exactly this moment.
  • It comes together in less than an hour but tastes like you've been thinking about it all day.
  • Works for summer dinner when you can't bear to turn on the stove, or as the thing you actually want to eat at a gathering instead of picking at other options.
02 -
  • Don't dress this salad too far in advance if you want the bread to stay crispy-edged—the dressing will continue softening it as it sits, which is good for flavor but not for texture if you wait more than 20 minutes.
  • If you can only find perfectly fresh bread, let it sit out uncovered for a few hours or lightly toast it in the oven first, because fresh bread will turn into mush the second the vinaigrette touches it.
03 -
  • Toast your bread cubes until they smell like toast—if you pull them out too early, they'll soften too quickly when the dressing hits them.
  • Make your vinaigrette first so the basil flavor has time to settle and mellow while you're prepping vegetables, and taste it once more before you dress the salad because that's your last chance to balance it.
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