Bread Salad
May 26, 2026
Bread salad is an authentic Italian dish, panzanella. In dialect, the word means “little swamp,” which, considering the ample amount of olive oil and juicy tomatoes, is quite an accurate translation! A crusty, peasant-type loaf of bread is essential here, as are the most flavorful oils. This salad is filling enough to stand alone as a luncheon dish, but it can also be served with roasted meat.
In this Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
Walnut Oil 1 ½ tablespoons
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 2 ½ tablespoons
Garlic Cloves, minced 4
Lemon Juice 1 tablespoon
Sherry Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Coarse Salt ¼ teaspoon
Coarsely Ground Black Pepper ½ teaspoon
FOR THE SALAD
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1 ½ tablespoons
Walnut Oil 1 ½ tablespoons
Garlic Clove, minced 1
Walnut Bread Cubes with Crusts, cut into 1-inch cubes 4 cups
Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped 6 tablespoons
Fresh Mint, chopped 1 tablespoon
Plum Tomatoes, seeded and diced 2 cups
Toasted Walnut Halves ½ cup
Arugula Leaves, loosely packed 2–3 cups
Steps
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
- Preheat the oven to 300° F.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive and walnut oils and add the garlic. Toss in the bread cubes and stir until the bread is lightly browned. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes to crisp. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the parsley, the mint, tomatoes, walnuts and arugula. Add the bread cubes and spoon on half of the vinaigrette. Toss well and add the remaining vinaigrette as needed. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley.
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