Classic Tuscan Panzanella Salad with Roasted Vegetables

Fresh Tuscan Panzanella salad with roasted vegetables,crusty bread, and a tangy tomato-balsamic dressing — the perfect summer garden recipe!

Course Main Dish, Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 424kcal

Author Renee

1 pound baguette (or other hearty, rustic bread) cut into bite-sized cubes
1½ pounds cherry tomatoes sliced in half (or regular-sized, cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 small summer squash (zucchini or other) cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium sweet onion cut in half and sliced stem to root
½ pound eggplant (mini, or full sized) quarter minis; peel and cut full-size into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
¼ cup balsamic vinegar divided
2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 medium cucumber (optional) peeled, seeded, and cubed
6 cups coarsely chopped Romaine lettuce 2 small heads or 1 large
2 ounces feta cheese crumbled
½ cup packed fresh basil leaves (or a mixture of fresh basil and fresh mint leaves) roughly chopped

Toast Bread: Heat broiler to 400°F (200°C). Toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Broil 3 min, toss, then broil 2–3 min more until golden. Cool.
Roast Veggies: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Toss onion,eggplant, squash, and half the tomatoes with 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon balsamic,salt, and pepper. Roast 25–30 min until tender.
Make Dressing: Blend ½ cup roasted tomatoes with garlic,2 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 tablespoon balsamic until smooth.
Assemble: Combine romaine, bread cubes, remaining tomatoes, cucumber, roasted veggies, feta, herbs, and dressing.
Toss gently. Rest the salad 30–60 min before serving.

Start with dry bread. Day-old bread is perfect, or toast fresh bread a day in advance. A drier crumb soaks up dressing without falling apart.

Season your tomatoes. Sprinkle them with a little salt first — it deepens their flavor and draws out excess liquid so the salad isn’t watery.

Let the flavors mingle. After tossing, let the salad rest for 30–60 minutes. The bread will absorb the dressing and roasted vegetable juices while still keeping some texture.

Choose ripe but firm tomatoes. They’ll be sweet, flavorful, and hold their shape, giving your salad the best bite.

Pro tip: For an extra layer of flavor, rub the toasted bread with a cut clove of garlic before adding it to the salad — it infuses every bite with subtle, savory depth.