For a quick summer meal try burrata panzanella, where the classic Tuscan bread salad, meets ripe tomatoes and creamy burrata cheese.
If you love the classic caprese salad, consider this burrata panzanella THE upgraded version, where juicy tomatoes meet creamy burrata meets crunchy bread. It's basically summer on a plate!
Panzanella salad is undoubtedly one of the best-known Tuscan recipes out there.
In its traditional version, this bread salad is made with tomatoes, stale bread, red onion, cucumbers, a little basil for flavoring, and a drizzle of oil.
I've been making panzanella salad with burrata for years, and trust me, this upgraded version featuring delicious, creamy burrata cheese makes just the perfect summer meal!
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What is panzanella salad?
Panzanella is a traditional Italian tomato and bread salad that originated in Tuscany.
The star of this traditional dish is stale bread, which is mixed with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil, and seasoned with vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.
There are so many variations of this dish, all incredibly delicious, and today we are sharing a family version, which features burrata cheese as a guest star!
Burrata panzanella ingredients
This burrata panzanella recipe calls for the most simple ingredients, like most traditional Italian recipes.
You'll need just 7 ingredients:
- Tomatoes: Local tomatoes from the farmer's market make the best Panzanella salad, no matter where you live. Mix and match heirloom tomatoes with cherry tomatoes, or use classic salad tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes.
- Burrata: Burrata cheese adds flavor and creaminess to this salad. If you can find it, you can use mozzarella cheese or dollops of ricotta cheese.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Opt for high-quality fruity extra-virgin olive oil for the best Panzanella salad. Although optional, you can also add white vinegar.
- Onion: Use red onions, as they're sweet and complements very well the tomato flavor.
- Bread: Use a couple of days old sourdough bread, ciabatta bread, or your favorite artisanal bread.
- Garlic: Although it's optional, rub a little garlic over the bread for extra flavor.
- Fresh herbs: Use fresh basil leaves and freshly dried oregano (it's usually sold in branches) for the best flavor.
Tips for the best Panzanella salad
Here are a few tips to make the best panzanella salad with burrata:
- If you're using stale bread, let the chunks soften in a bowl with olive oil, a little drop of balsamic vinegar, and water, then squeeze the bread chunks and add them to the salad.
- If you're using fresh bread, you can simply cut it into chunks, or grill them with a little olive oil before adding them to the salad.
- You can serve the burrata panzanella straight away, but it tastes even better after a few hours. I like to add the burrata cheese right before serving.
- Panzanella is best served at room temperature. Store in the fridge until ready to serve, then let it sit on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes before serving.
Storage tips
Store your leftover panzanella salad in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
What to serve with Panzanella
In Italy, Panzanella salad is often served on its own for a light summer meal, but it also makes a wonderful side dish.
Here are our favorite ways to serve panzanella with burrata:
- Eggplant Parmesan: Pair your burrata panzanella with a side of eggplant parmesan for a well-balanced vegetarian meal.
- Veal Saltimbocca: Traditional saltimbocca goes well with almost any salad, including panzanella!
- Chicken Milanese: Also a great option! Crunchy chicken Milanese pairs well with Panzanella and makes a wonderful meal all year round.
More traditional Italian recipes to try
- Mafaldine pasta with Napoletana sauce
- Pasta e fagioli - pasta with beans
- Orecchiette with broccoli rabe
- Bucatini Pomodoro
- Taralli Pugliesi
- Ricotta meatballs
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Recipe
Burrata Panzanella
Ingredients
- 300 g mixed tomatoes, (heirloom, cherry tomatoes etc)
- 1 red onion
- 250 g day-old ciabatta or sourdough bread
- 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cucumber, finely cubed
- 6 basil leaves
- 2 tablespoon Italian white vinegar
- sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 2 balls burrata cheese
Instructions
- Chop the larger tomatoes into chunks, the small cherry tomatoes in half, and finely slice the onion. Then place the vegetables in a large bowl and season well with sea salt. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Cut the stale bread into small chunks, place them in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Arrange the bread chunks on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Place the tray in a preheated oven to 180°C/360°F with the grill function on, and bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Check the bread frequently, to make sure it doesn't brown too much. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool.
- Add the cucumber and bread chunks into the bowl with the tomatoes and onion. Tear the basil leaves by hand and add them to the salad.
- Season with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, white vinegar, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and mix to combine all the ingredients.
- Right before serving the panzanella salad, top with chunks of burrata cheese and serve.
Notes
- For a more traditional panzanella, let the bread chunks soften in a bowl with olive oil, a little drop of white vinegar, and water, then squeeze the bread chunks and add them to the salad.
- If you're using fresh bread, you can simply cut it into chunks, or grill them with a little olive oil before adding them to the salad.
- You can serve the burrata panzanella straight away, but it tastes even better after a few hours. I like to add the burrata cheese right before serving.
- Panzanella is best served at room temperature. Store in the fridge until ready to serve, then let it sit on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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