Grilled Panzanella Salad

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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.

Grilled panzanella salad in a white serving dish with text overlay - Grilled 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.

Bread cubes being poured onto grill grates of a charcoal grill.

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.

  1. Season the bread. Drizzle the cubes of bread with olive oil and then season with salt. Set aside.
  2. Make the tomato mixture. In a large serving bowl, combine diced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
  3. Add dressing. Make the balsamic vinaigrette using the directions in the printable recipe card below. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture.
  4. 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.
  5. Assemble. Add the bread crumbs to the tomato mixture and stir to combine.
  6. 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.

Grilled panzanella salad ingredients being stirred together.

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

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Grilled Panzanella Salad

By: Susie Bulloch
0 from 0 votes
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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings12 people
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 loaf Italian-style bread cut or torn into 1 1/2 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes large diced
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese large diced or torn
  • ½ cup fresh basil torn into pieces

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

Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About

FOUNDER/BBQ BOSS LADY

Susie is the BBQ Brain behind the Hey Grill Hey website. Her passion for smoked meats and developing fun, new recipes have landed her on the Food Network, cooking turkeys with Shaq, and on a couple of Guinness World Records. When she’s not grilling, she is hanging out with Todd and their three kids, preferably outdoors!

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