Easy Panzanella Salad with Burrata
By Sammi Brondo — July 30, 2024
If you love tomatoes, you have to make this Easy Panzanella Salad with Burrata. And honestly even if you don’t like tomatoes, you still have to make this salad.
In season tomatoes are probably one of my favorite foods. They are SO delicious when they’re in season and perfectly ripe.
And trust me on this one, I used to hate tomatoes. Like, I think they used to be one of my least favorite vegetables.
So, if you’re not a fan of tomatoes, I want to challenge you to try this salad. Like with a lot of produce, tomatoes are 100x better when they’re perfectly in season in the summer.
And this recipe totally plays up on their seasonality. The tomatoes are first salted to help release their juice and bring out their flavor.
Then, delicious, crusty sourdough is added to the mix.
Everything is mixed with a light and refreshing dressing. And lastly, topped with creamy burrata cheese.
So, yeah, it’s a lot of tomato, but I promise, they’re prepared in such a delicious way.
Serve this salad with easy summery proteins, like grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp, and you’ve got an ideal summer meal in no time.
Prep the tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Wash and cut tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add the tomatoes to a colander over a large bowl and add salt. Mix to combine and let the tomatoes set for about 15 minutes, tossing them occasionally, so that their juices get released into the bowl. Set aside.
Slice the bread into cubes
Slice the bread into small cubes. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread on a baking sheet.
Toast the bread
Toast the bread in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan to stir about halfway through.
Make the dressing
In a small bowl, add the juice from the tomatoes, remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, basil, and salt. Whisk well.
Assemble the salad
In a large bowl, add the salted tomatoes and toasted bread.
Toss the salad with dressing
Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine.
Optional: let the dressing set for at least 10 minutes before adding cheese and eating.
Top salad & garnish
Gently cut the burrata into small pieces. Top the salad with the burrata and add fresh basil to garnish.
Notes
- Let the dressing sit: If you have time, let the salad sit for about 30 minutes after adding the dressing so that it really seeps in to the tomatoes and bread. But if not, it’s totally fine to skip ahead and eat or serve as is.
- Storage: To make this salad in advance, prepare the tomatoes, bread and dressing. Before serving, add the dressing to the salad and add the cheese.
- Additional add ons: Panzanella salads often have red onion and cucumber added. You can also add mozzarella cheese instead of burrata.
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium-size heirloom tomatoes
- 2 large slices sourdough bread
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil chopped
- 8 oz. burrata cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Wash and cut tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add the tomatoes to a colander over a large bowl and add salt. Mix to combine and let the tomatoes set for about 15 minutes, tossing them occasionally, so that their juices get released into the bowl. Set aside.
- Slice the bread into small cubes. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Toast the bread in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan to stir about halfway through.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add the juice from the tomatoes, remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, basil, and salt. Whisk well.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the salted tomatoes and toasted bread. Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine. (Optional: let the dressing set for at least 10 minutes before adding cheese and eating).
- Gently cut the burrata into small pieces. Top the salad with the burrata and add fresh basil to garnish.
