Grilled Panzanella Salad
On July 06, 2022 (Updated December 06, 2024)
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For a unique and delicious summer salad or side that feels fancy and fresh, try this grilled Panzanella salad recipe. It only requires a few ingredients and a few minutes of your time with a major payout.
What is Panzanella Salad
Panzanella salad takes all of the best components of a Caprese salad and adds the crunchy element of grilled bread cubes to make a hearty and flavorful salad that works as a side dish or an easy main course on a hot summer night.
A traditional Panzanella salad oftentimes includes onions and cucumbers as well as using stale bread, in fact, the salad used onions versus tomatoes prior to the 20th century.
For this salad, we’re adding a Hey Grill Hey spin to it by grilling the bread crumbs over charcoal for a delicious BBQ flavor with lots of depth.
What’s in a Panzanella Salad?
- 1 loaf Italian country-style bread
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin live oil
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
This recipe also uses an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette with the following ingredients:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper, to taste
Quick note: rustic Italian-style loaves of bread work best for this recipe. They are dense enough to stand up to the heat on the grill without completely drying out. Avoid lighter bread like French bread or focaccia. They tend to fall apart in this recipe. Ciabatta also works great.
How to Make Panzanella Salad
Panzanella is a complete delight and works well for a main course as much as a side dish. Here’s how to make Panzanella salad.
- Season the bread. Drizzle the cubes of bread with olive oil and then season with salt. Set aside.
- Make the tomato mixture. In a large serving bowl, combine diced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
- Add dressing. Make the balsamic vinaigrette using the directions in the printable recipe card below. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture.
- Grill the bread. With your grill preheated to 400 degrees F, place the seasoned bread directly on the grill grates and grill for 5-6 minutes. Toss the bread frequently to ensure they grill evenly.
- Assemble. Add the bread crumbs to the tomato mixture and stir to combine.
- Enjoy! Add additional salt and pepper to taste. This salad is best served immediately.
With this being a grilled Panzanella, it actually differs a bit from more traditional Panzanella salads so you want to mix the bread in immediately before serving instead of letting everything sit. However, you can grill the bread and mix the remainder of the salad a day in advance. Just wait until right before serving to toss the bread into the tomato mixture.
More Grilled Salad Recipes
Your salad grilling adventures don’t need to stop here. Check out these other awesome grilled salad recipes from Hey Grill Hey.
Grilled Panzanella Salad Recipe
Follow the video below and let’s make something delicious! I’m all about helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a BBQ hero. If you want to see more of my recipes, tips, and behind-the-scenes action, follow along on my social channels. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!
Grilled Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F for direct heat grilling.
- Season. Drizzle 4 Tablespoons of olive oil over the torn bread crumbs and toss to coat. Season the oiled bread chunks with salt.
- Add dressing. In your serving bowl, toss the diced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. In a smaller bowl, combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk together. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture and set aside.
- Grill the bread chunks. Transfer the seasoned and oiled bread cubes onto your preheated grill grates. Toast on the grill, tossing regularly, for 5-6 minutes, or until lightly charred.
- Assemble and enjoy. Move the grilled bread cubes directly into the dressed tomato mixture. Toss the bread cubes and tomatoes together until well combined. Taste and add more salt and black pepper, as needed. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
