Caprese Panzanella Salad
Caprese Panzanella is an easy to make panzanella bread salad with all of the flavors of caprese! It has fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, along with toasted bread cubes and a light vinaigrette dressing.
Every year when the weather starts warming up, I start craving all of the flavors of summer. Watermelon, Sauvignon Blanc, and caprese salads are at the top of my list. And if the combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil couldn't get any better, I added toasted bread cubes to this Caprese Panzanella Salad...yum!
Ingredients in Caprese Panzanella Salad
Tomatoes - any kind will work! I love using fresh garden tomatoes during the summer months, or tomatoes from the farmers market. This panzanella is super fun with multi-colored tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella - definitely use fresh mozzarella vs shredded mozzarella. I like finding the little pearl balls of mozzarella or a log and slicing it into bite-sized pieces.
Fresh Basil - this panzanella is so delicious with fresh basil from the garden in the summer!
White Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Glaze
Olive Oil
Butter
Fresh Garlic
How to Make Caprese Panzanella Salad
First, prep the bread cubes to toast. I really love doing this on the stovetop, but it does take awhile to do it in batches. For that reason, I toasted them in the oven this time. Simply toss the bread cubes in a combination of butter and olive oil, and then toast in the oven at 375 for about 8-10 minutes.
You'll also need to make a simple vinaigrette. Do this by whisking together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, fresh minced garlic, salt, and pepper. It's super simple and flavorful!
Next, in a big bowl, combine the halved tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, toasted bread cubes, and basil. Drizzle it all with the vinaigrette, and toss well. Then drizzle with a balsamic glaze - yum!
This caprese panzanella is SO full of summer flavor! It's great as a light lunch or dinner on its own, or as a side salad. I love bringing panzanella salads to potlucks - you can't go wrong with a bunch of bread and fresh produce!
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Caprese Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
Bread:
- 8 ounces French bread, cubed (this should be about 4-6 cups)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salad:
- 20-24 ounces grape tomatoes I used a combination pack of heirloom tomatoes
- 8 ounces mozzarella balls cut into small pieces
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- Balsamic glaze/reduction I use store-bought
Salad Dressing
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar regular works, too
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat hte oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, salt, and garlic powder.
- Toss the bread cubes with the butter/olive oil mixture.
- Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Combine toasted bread cubes, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve drizzled with balsamic glaze.
