This easy vegan panzanella salad is a delicious way to turn leftover bread and ripe tomatoes into a simple Italian salad the way Italian nonnas do. This traditional Tuscan salad is a great example of how simple ingredients can be really delicious.
Chunks of crusty bread soak up the juices from the tomatoes and dressing, while the onion and fresh herbs add lots of flavour. It's rustic, filling and very simple to make. If you like extra dressing, drizzle over this Easy Homemade Italian Dressing.
💭 What is Panzanella Salad?
Panzanella is a traditional Tuscan bread and tomato salad made with stale bread, tomatoes and a simple dressing.
It's a good example of cucina povera, the Italian traition of making tasty food from simple and inexpensive ingredients.
Instead of throwing out stale bread, it's perked up by soaking up juices from the ripe tomatoes and the dressing, that's what makes this salad so good, but don't expect a crispy crouton salad, the bread should retain texture, but be juicy.
A rustic loaf or sourdough bread would work well, but if you have time make your own Bloomers Bread.
🧾 At-a-Glance - Vegan Panzanella Salad
✅ Recipe: Tuscan Panzanella Salad
⏲️ Ready in: 15 minutes plus 15-20 minutes to rest before serving
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 508 per serving
🧾 Main ingredients: Bread, ripe tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, basil, olive oil and white wine vinegar
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: Vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian & gluten-free (if you use gluten free bread)
👩🏻🍳 Thanks to Tuscan Nonnas Milena & Stefania: from Pasta Nonnas: Eat Everything by Vicky Bennison
⭐ Why you will love this salad: It's a great way to use leftover or stale bread, it's easy to make, full of summer flavour and perfect for lunch.
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👩🏻🍳 Pasta Grannies
This gorgeous salad comes from a cookbook called Pasta Grannies: Eat Everything by Vicky Bennison, which is a new cookbook celebrating traditional Italian recipes and the women who have cooked them for generations. Vicky is well known for her YouTube Channel Pasta Grannies, where she films Italian Nonnas cooking in their kitchens.
Eat Everything is not a vegan cookbook, but I was intereated in the stories of the nonnas and to see how many recipes could be enjoyed by vegans or adapted to be plant-based with a few simple swaps. It turns out quite a lot as the recipes are mostly based around vegetables.
This panzanella caught my eye because it's naturally vegan and showcases the kind of simple recipes, using seasonal flavours that I love.
I really enjoyed exploring the book and picking out recipes to try. The stories of the nonnas are just as appealing as their recipes, making it a lovely book to dip into if you enjoy traditional Italian food.
This salad comes from two Italian Nonna friends called Milena & Stefania who live together in the hilltop town of Fiesole inTuscany, it's one of their favourite recipes and makes a really good lunch.
The Cookbook
- Book: Pasta Grannies: Eat Everything: Pasta and Beyond for the Good Life
- Author: Vicky Bennison
- Publisher: Rizzoli
- Publication: 8 Sep 2026
- Print length: 256 pages
- ISBN: 978-0789346179
- Vegan Recipes (or vegan with small tweaks: 32 recipes
📋 Key Ingredients
For this classic vegan Italian salad loved by Nonnas and their families, you only need a few simple ingredients.
The full recipe list and method is in the recipe card.
- Bread - you can use a stale sourdough, Italian boule (country style loaf), ciabatta or cubes of baguette toasted first
- Cucumber - peeled, cut lengthways and wet seeds scooped out with a teaspoon, before it is sliced
- Tomatoes - you want a large variety of tomato and make sure they are ripe, to help them ripen, pop them in a bowl on your windowsill
Nonnas top tip
💭The Secret to Making Red Onions Mild
To make red onions milder in flavour use one of these 3 methods: soak the sliced onion in red wine vinegar for 10 minutes, soak them in water for 15 minutes or soak them in plant-milk for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding them to the salad.
🥗 Variations
Once you've made the basic salad there are a few ways to change it up.
- Add olives - for a salty Mediterranean flavour
- Extra tomatoes - add some cherry tomatoes for a sweet pop or flavour
- Some chickpes or cannellini beans - will make it more filling for a hearty lunch or dinner
I do like the idea of leaving the salad as it is, nice and simple. The combination of good bread, ripe tomatoes, herbs and dressing really makes it special.
🥗 What to Serve with the Salad
This Tuscan bread salad makes a perfect light lunch on it's own, but you can serve it alongside other Mediterranean dishes for a summer lunch, al fresco picnic or sharing dinner.
Try serving it with:
- Hummus & focaccia
- Couscous Lentil Salad
- Roast veg or marinated vegetables like artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and olives
- Vegan Whipped Feta
- Marinated Cherry Tomatoes
- Pickled gherkins (dill pickles)
💭 Vegan Panzanella Salad FAQs
Stale or day-old crusty bread is best for this salad because it holds its texture when dressed. If you only have fresh bread, you can cube and toast (or air fry) it lightly first.
Yes, if you can find a good crusty, sturdy gluten-free loaf and toasting the bread first will help with the texture.
It's a good idea to leave the salad to sit for 20-30 minutes so the bread can soak up all the flavours and soften.
The salad is best made fresh and eaten after it has been made and rested. You can put leftovers in the fridge, but you will find the bread is really soft the next day.
Yes you can prepare the vegetables and store them separately in containers in the fridge, then assemble with the bread and dressing when you are ready to serve the salad.
👩🏻🍳 More Vegan Italian Recipes to Try Next
📖 Recipe
Vegan Panzanella Salad with Bread & Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 600 g loaf crusty bread (stale and cut into chunks - see notes)
- 1 red onion (peeled, halved and thinly sliced)
- 2 cucumbers (cut in half lenghtways, wet seeds scooped out with a teaspoon and cut in slices or dice)
- 5 large ripe tomatoes (diced and you can add up to 7 tomatoes)
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves (torn)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or to taste)
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper (be generous)
Instructions
- Place chunks of stale bread in a bowl and briefly soak in water, just long enough to soften. Immediately squeeze out the excess water with your hands and transfer to a large serving bowl. Don't leave it in the bowl or it will go mushy, If you are using salted bread, don't soak it, but splash it with water, then leave it for a minute.
- Add the sliced onion, cucumber and diced tomatoes and their juice to the bowl with the bread.
- Add the torn basil leaves, season, then drizzle over the olive oil.
- Splash over the white wine vinegar. As Milena says, "Don't be shy with it-in the heat, one's palate needs a pick-me-up."
- Use your hands to mix everything together but be gentle-you want to combine all the flavours whilst keeping the ingredients recognizable.
- Let the panzanella rest for at 20-30 minutes before serving it to allow the flavours to develop.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To make the onions milder in flavour, use one of these 3 methods: soak the sliced onions in red wine vinegar for 10 minutes, soak them in water for 15 minutes or soak them in plant milk for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding them to the salad.
- You can use a stale rustic Italian loaf, bloomer's bread, or ciabatta. If your bread is fresh, lightly toast it first.
- This salad is best served fresh, you can keep letovers in the fridge, but the bread will be very soft.
Nutrition
Simon says
a taste of summer right there. great looking book too
Jacqueline Meldrum says
You are so right and it's a great book. Takes you right to Italy.
Maybelle says
That salad looks so good, thanks Nonnas!!!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Yes indeed thanks to the nonnas. Such a tasty salad.
Belinda says
it is easier than I thought. I always assumed it was more complicated.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I know, me too, but it's super simple, I think it's really about good quality crusty bread and really ripe tomatoes.
Jill says
This looks so good Jacqs and I'll definitely check out the book. Jill x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
It's such a nice book, the stories are really heartwarming. Enjoy the salad too Jill.