Panzanella with Peaches

Panzanella with Peaches is a fresh take on traditional Panzanella salad. The addition of sliced fresh peaches gives the salad a burst of sweetness that blends perfectly with the savory elements of this classic salad.

One of my all-time favorite classic Italian salad recipes is traditional Panzanella. A blend of soaked stale bread cubes, ripe tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and vinegar. Flavors you can’t go wrong with this time of year. However, in the height of summer when the peaches are to be harvested on my parent’s farm, we find ourselves with an abundance of them. Using the summer peaches for a Fresh Peach Tart or even for savory dishes like this Creamy Peach Chicken are definite favorites. 

Perhaps many recipes occur by accident or by the need of using up what the season offers. This peach panzanella recipe is exactly the sort. The juicy slices of peach offer a sweetness that plays well with the savory flavors of red onion, seasoned bread, and crunchy cucumbers creating the perfect salad.

I love to serve colorful summer salads right alongside seasoned meats like these Oven Slow-Cooked Ribs or this Spatchcock Grilled Chicken. It’s a deliciously light satisfying summer combination.

What Is Panzanella Salad?

Panzanella or panmolle salad is a traditional Tuscan salad that consists of soaked stale bread cubes, onions, tomatoes, oil, and vinegar. It is often also made with basil and cucumbers. Today we are throwing in a completely different flavor component with sliced peaches and toasted bread over-soaked.

Panzanella with Peaches Is…

• An unexpected, fresh and colorful dish
• Perfect when served alongside savory meats like ribs, steak, grilled chicken or lamb 
• Packed with flavors from sweet to savory
• Beautiful displayed on a summer table
• A great summer salad
• An easy side dish to make as its mostly about chopping and assembling
• A fresh, healthy salad with juicy peaches that the whole family will love

Ingredients

Peaches- Sweet peaches add a nice twist to this traditional salad. Use fresh peaches not canned. White or yellow work fine. You can also substitute nectarines with very similar results.

Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes have a nice sweet flavor as do heirloom varieties which are perfect for the flavors in this salad.

Onion- Thin slivers of red onion provide a nice contrast to the sweet peaches and tomatoes.

Oil and Vinegar- The salad is dressed in a blend of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a simple vinaigrette. Pure olive oil or extra virgin works fine. You can use red wine vinegar in place of balsamic. Keep in mind red wine is much more sour tasting and balsamic on the sweeter side so it will have a slight taste difference. But both are tasty.

Herbs- Panzanella with Peaches is enhanced by fresh basil which add to the bright flavors found throughout this salad.

Cucumber- I like to use English or Armenian cucumbers for this. However, you can use a regular cucumber but be sure to seed and peel it.

Bread- This salad is a great way to use up leftover loaves of bread whether homemade or not. I used sourdough, but any crusty bread will work well for this.

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

Tools

Baking sheet

What You Will Need

3 large peaches

4 cups of cubed day-old bread

1 cup chopped cucumber

1 pint of cherry tomatoes or 2 heirloom tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup of a red onion

1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp of olive oil

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oven to 400℉.

Chop the bread into cubes and place them on a sheet pan. Drizzle 3 tbsp of olive oil over along with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the cubes around to make sure they are coated with salt, pepper, and oil. Bake them until they are toasty, about 10 minutes.

Slice or chop the peaches into bite-sized chunks. (I like to leave them in slices for presentation). Dice the cucumber, and remove seeds if necessary. Slice the onions into thin strips. Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves or if using heirloom tomatoes, cut them into bite-sized chunks.

Place the peaches into a large bowl with the bread, cucumber, onion slices, and tomatoes. Whisk 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper the contents of the bowl. Add the basil. Then pour the dressing in and give it all a good stir.

Garnish with a few extra basil leaves for a nice touch.

Assembly Notes

• You can opt to cut the peaches in slices of bite-sized pieces. I like to slice them as the peaches look beautiful in the salad but bite-sized chunks are more practical.
• The salad is good for up to 3 days in the fridge, stored in an air-tight container. Note: the bread will lose its crispiness and absorb the juices in the salad which gives it more of an authentic panzanella salad texture.

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